








LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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Shelf.A/jT^y^r 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 








































































































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I. 


Law Relating to Buildings, 

IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 

# 

Passed June 9th, IS85. 

WITH MARGINAL NOTES, A FULL INDEX, 


-AND- 


ENGRAVINC4S 


Illustkating the Heights and Thicknesses of Walls. 

{No Method so quickly explains as Drawings to those accustomed to their use.) 



II. 









GUT OF 



OUSES, 


IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 


Passed June 9th, IS85, 


WILLIAM J. FRYER, Jr. 




Member of the Board of Examiners , as the Representative of the Society of Architectural 
Iron Manufacturers. Superintendent of Repairs , U. S. Public Buildings, New York. 

' . , 4 —:.- 4 ,. 

-■ ? 1325 ,f 


■ o 


Published by /ViAi 

THE RECORD AND GUIDE, 

191 Broadway, N. Y. 

1885. 
































Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1885, by 
WILLIAM J. FRYER, Jr , 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 


Willis McDonald & Co., Printers, 
25 Park Itow, N, Y, 


CONTENTS. 


r.—LAW RELATING TO BUILDINGS. 

Sec. 471—Application of act. 

472— Materials of walls . 

473— Foundations. 

474— Excavations... 

475— Base under foundations. 

476— Dwelling house walls. 

477— Warehouse and factory walls. 

478— Repealed. 

479— Temporary supports and bracing of walls.... 

480— Stone walls. 

481— Isolated piers, area coverings, etc. 

482— Mortars, brick, concrete, etc . 

483— Ashler, anchors, etc. 

484— Parapet walls, mansard roofs, etc. 

485— Iron lintels, posts, girders, etc. 

486— Arches, lintels, etc. 

487— Iron shutters, sky-lights, elevators.... . 

488— Chimneys, flues, steam-pipes, etc. 

489— Furnaces, gas, etc. 

490— Beams, strength of floors, etc. 

491— Calculations for strength of materials. 

492— Fire-proof buildings. 

493— Cornices, gutters, etc.. 

494— Roofing, etc. 

495— Wooden building limits, etc.. 

496— Buildings raised or lowered. 

497— Wooden buildings damaged by fire. 

498— Altered buildings to conform to this act. 

499— Fire-escapes .,. 

500— Theatres, construction of. 

500— Frame buildings. 

501— Plumbing and drainage.. 

502— Repealed. 


PAGE 

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17 

18 
20 
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33 

34 

35 

36 

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38 

38 

39 

40 
51 

51 

52 





































IV 


PAGE 

Sec. 503—Plans and statements., 52 

504— Construction and materials . 53 

505— Penalties for violations. 55 

506— Court proceedings. 56 

507— Violation, notices of, etc. 57 

508— Violations made a crime. 58 

509— Unsafe buildings . 58 

510— Surveys. 59 

511— Report of surveyors, etc. 60 

512— Owner allowed to execute precept. 63 

513— When proceedings are not complied with. 63 

514— Fire department to enforce law; officers, etc. 64 

515— Attorney’s duties, etc. 65 

516— Duties of attorney and other employees. 66 

517— Report to fire underwriters. 67 

41— Public act, this law declared to be. 67 

42— Law not to affect past liabilities, etc. 67 

43— Repealing certain former sections. 67 

44— Act to take effect immediately. 67 


II.- LAW LIMITING THE HEIGHT OF DWELLING HOUSES. 

PAGE 

Sec. 1—Regulating heights of dwelling houses. 69 

2— Point where to compute height. 69 

3— When act shall take effect.. 69 

























LAW RELATING TO BUILDINGS. 


[The law relating to the construction of buildings in the city of 
New York is here given complete, as amended June 9th, 1885, and 
obviates any necessity of referring to the “ Consolidated Act ” of 
1882, § 471 to 517 inclusive, Title 5—Construction of Buildings.] 


CHAP. 456. 

AN ACT to amend chapter four hundred and ten of the 
laws of eighteen hundred and eiglity-two, entitled, 
“ An act to consolidate into one act and to declare the 
special and local laws affecting public interests in the 
city of New York,” so far as the same relates to the 
bureau of buildings and the erection of buildings in 
said city. 

Passed June 9tli, 1885 —three-fifths being present. 

The People of the State of New York , represented in 
Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: 

Section 1 . Section four hundred and seventy-one of 
chapter four hundred and ten of the laws of eighteen 
hundred and eighty-two, entitled, “ An act to consolidate 
into one act and to declare the special and local laws af¬ 
fecting public interests in the city of New York,” is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 471. No wall, structure, building, part or parts there¬ 
of, shall hereafter be built, constructed, altered or repaired, 
in said city, except in conformity with the provisions of 
. this title. 


New and al¬ 
tered build¬ 
ings to con¬ 
form to this 
law. 





2 


Walls, what 
constructed of 


Depth of 
Foundation 
Walls. 


Piles. 


Rock bottom. 


Excavations 

Guarded. 


§ 2. Section four hundred and seventy-two of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 472. All buildings hereafter erected within said city, 
other than frame or w r ooden buildings, shall have all walls 
constructed of stone, brick or iron, properly bonded and 
solidly put together, and all such walls shall be built to 
a line, and be carried up plumb and straight, with closed 
joints, and the several component parts of such buildings 
shall be built and constructed in such manner as herein 
provided. 

§ 3. Section four hundred and seventy-three of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 473. All foundation walls shall be laid not less than 
four feet below the surface of the earth, on a good solid 
bottom, and in case the nature of the earth should require 
it, piles shall be driven, or timbers laid of sufficient size 
and thickness to prevent the walls from settling, the top 
of such pile or timber bottom to be driven or laid below’ 
the water-line, and where piles are driven for a founda¬ 
tion, they shall not be less than five inches in diameter 
at the smallest end, and shall be driven to a firm and 
solid bearing, and all piers, columns, posts or pillars rest¬ 
ing on the earth shall be set upon a bottom in the 
same manner as the foundation walls. Whenever in any 
case the foundation wall or walls of any building that 
may hereafter be erected shall be placed on a rock bot¬ 
tom, the said rock shall be graded off level in sections or 
otherwise to receive the same. 

All excavations upon the front or side of any lot ad¬ 
joining a street shall be properly guarded and protected 
by the person or persons having charge of the same, so 
as to prevent the same from being or becoming dangerous 
to life or limb. 

§ 4. Section four hundred and seventy-four of said act 
is herebv amended so as to read as follows: 


3 


§ 474. Whenever excavations for building or other 
purposes, on any lot or piece of land in the city and 
county of New York, shall be intended to be carried to the 
depth of more than ten feet below the curb at the place 
where there shall be any party or other wall, wholly or 
partly on adjoining land, and standing upon or near the 
boundary lines of such lot, the person causing such excava¬ 
tions to be made, if afforded the necessary license to enter 
on the adjoining land, and not otherwise, shall at all times 
from the commencement until the completion of such ex¬ 
cavations, at his own expense, preserve such wall from in¬ 
jury, and so support the same by a proper foundation that 
it shall remain as stable as before the excavations were com¬ 
menced. 

Whenever there shall be any excavation, either of earth 
or rock, hereafter commenced upon any lot or piece of 
land in the city of New York, and there shall be any party 
or other wall wholly or partly on adjoiningland, and stand¬ 
ing upon or near the boundary line of said lot, if the per¬ 
son or persons whose duty it shall be, under this act, to pre¬ 
serve or protect said wall or structure from injury shall 
neglect or fail so to do after having had a notice of twenty- 
four hours from the superintendent of buildings so to do, 
the superintendent of buildings may enter upon the prem¬ 
ises, and employ such labor and furnish such materials and 
take such steps as in his judgment may be necessary to make 
the same safe and secure, or to prevent the same from be¬ 
coming unsafe or dangerous, at the expense of the person 
or persons owning said wall, building or structure of which 
it may be a part, and any person or persons doing the said 
work, or any part thereof, under and by direction of the 
said superintendent, may bring and maintain an action 
against the owner, owners or lessee, or any one of them, of 
the said wall, building or structure of which it may be a 
part, for any work done or materials furnished in and about 
the said premises, in the same manner as if he had been em¬ 
ployed to do the said work by the said owner, owners or 
lessee of the said premises. 


Depth of Ex¬ 
cavations. 


Protect ad¬ 
joining wall. 


On neglect or 
fail ure to pro¬ 
tec t adjoining 
structure, su¬ 
perintendent 
to act. 


Owner to be 
liable for ex¬ 
pense. 


4 


Base course of 
foundations. 


Inverted 

arches. 


Foundation 
walls, how 
built. 


§ 5. Section four hundred and seventy-five of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 475. The footing, or base course, under all foundation 
walls, and under all piers, columns, posts or pillars resting 
on the earth, shall be of stone or concrete, and if under a 
foundation wall, shall be at least twelve inches wider than 
the bottom width of the said wall; and if under piers, col¬ 
umns, posts or pillars, shall be at least twelve inches wider 
on all sides than the bottom width of the said piers, col¬ 
umns, posts or pillars, and not less than eighteen inches in 
thickness; and if built of stone, the stones thereof shall 
not be less than two by three feet, and at least eight inches 
in thickness; and all base stones shall be well bedded and 
laid edge to edge; and if the walls be built of isolated 
piers, then there must be inverted arches at least twelve 
inches thick, resting upon a continuous bed of concrete at 
least eighteen inches thick, turned under and between the 
piers, and the outside piers shall be secured to the second 
piers with suitable tie rods and plates, or not less than two 
footing courses of large stone at least ten inches thick in 
each course, equal in area to what would be required under 
a continuous wall. 

All foundation walls shall be built of stone or brick, 
and shall be laid in cement mortar, and, if constructed of 
stone, shall be at least eight inches thicker than the wall 
next above them, to a depth of ten feet below the curb 
level, and shall be increased four inches in thickness for 
every additional five feet in depth below the said ten feet; 
and if built of brick, shall be at least four inches thicker 
than the wall next above them to a depth of ten feet below 
the curb level, and shall be increased four inches in thick¬ 
ness for every additional five feet in depth below the said 
ten feet. 

§ 6. Section four hundred and seventy-six of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 


5 


No. 1 

Illustration. 


No. 2 

Illustration. 

No. 3 

Illustration. 


No. 4 

Illustration. 


No. 5 

Illustration. 


§ 476. The basement walls of dwelling- 
houses, not over thirty feet in height, and not 
over twenty feet in width, shall not be less 
than twelve inches thick, if of brick ; the oth¬ 
er walls (not including foundation walls) shall 
not be less than eight inches thick, but no par¬ 
ty wall shall be less than twelve inches thick.* 

The walls of dwelling-houses over thirty 
feet in height and under sixty feet in height 
shall not be less than twelve inches thick 
above the first story floor, and not less than 
sixteen in the basement story. 

If sixty feet and under seventy feet in 
height, the walls shall not be less than sixteen 
inches thick to the height of twenty feet, or 
to the next tier of beams above, and not 
less than twelve inches thick from thence to 
the top. 

If seventy feet and not over eighty-five 
feet in height, the w r alls shall not be less than 
twenty inches thick to the height of fifteen 
feet, or to the next tier of beams above, 
thence to the height of sixty feet, or to the 
tier of beams nearest to that height, the walls 
shall not be less than sixteen inches thick, and 
from thence not less than twelve inches thick 
to the top. 

If eighty-five feet and not over one hun¬ 
dred feet in height, the walls shall not be 
less than twenty four inches thick to the 
height of twenty feet, or to the nearest tier of 
beams to that height; thence not less than 
twenty inches thick to the height of seventy 
feet, or to the tier of beams nearest to that 
i height; thence sixteen inches thick to the top. 


Thickness of 
bearing walls 
for dwellings. 

Not exceeding 
30 feet in 
height. 


Exceeding 30 
feet and not 
exceeding 60 
feet. 


Not exceed¬ 
ing 70 feet. 


Not exceed¬ 
ing 85 feet. 


Not exceed¬ 
ing 100 feet. 


* See the last paragraph of amended § 500, of this act. 










6 


Not exceed¬ 
ing 115 feet. 


Exceeding 
115 feet in 
height. 


Certain walls 
of less thick¬ 
ness. 


Dwellings, 
etc., to have 
partition walls 
or girders. 


Thickness for 

partition 

walls. 


If one hundred feet and not over one 
hundred and fifteen feet in height, the walls 
shall not be less than twenty-eight inches thick 
to the height of fifteen feet, or to the tier of 
beams nearest to that height; thence not less 
than twenty-four inches to the height of sixty 
feet, or to the nearest tier of beams to that 
height; thence not less than twenty inches to 
the height of ninety feet, or to the tier of 
beams nearest to that height; thence not less 
than sixteen inches to the top; 

And all walls which are built over one 
hundred and fifteen feet in height shall be 
increased four inches in thickness at the 
bottom for every additional fifteen feet in 
height, or to the tier of beams nearest that 
height, leaving the same thickness for the up¬ 
per parts of the walls, as is herein last speci¬ 
fied. 

All the walls of buildings hereinbefore in this section 
specified (except the outside and bearing walls) may be four 
inches less in thickness, provided, however, that none are 
less than twelve inches thick, except as hereinafter speci¬ 
fied. 

All dwelling-houses, whether called tenement-houses, 
apartment-houses, flats, hotels, or other buildings, which are 
to be used for the residence of any person or persons, 
which are hereafter erected, or which may be altered to be 
used as herein specified, shall have brick or stone walls on 
which the beams rest, not over twenty-four feet apart, and 
in no case shall either end of a beam or beams of such 
houses rest on stud partitions ; this clause, however, shall 
not be construed to prevent the use of iron girders and col¬ 
umns for the support of the walls and ceilings over any 
wider rooms in such buildings. 

The inside or partition walls of dwelling-houses which 
are not over thirty-two feet in width, and not over fifty 
feet high, may be eight inches thick above the first story 
floor. 


No. 6 

Illustration. 


No. 7 

Illustration. 




DWELLING HOUSE WALLS. 


Party and Side Walls have the same thickness. 

(Except No. 1, where the party wall must be 12 in., and No. 3, 
where the party wall must be 16 inches thick.) 


No. 3. 



The total heights cannot be increased. 

The intermediate heights can be varied, the various thicknesses 
being “ to the tier of beams nearest ” thereto. 


As many stories as desired may be placed within the given 

total heights. 















































8 


r 

DWELLING HOUSE WALLS. 


Partv and side walls have the same thickness. 

I> 

(Except No. 4 , where the upper part must be 16 inches thick 

for a party wall.) 

Front and rear walls may be 4 inches less in thickness. 


(Fire-proof buildings.) 


No. 6. 



The total heights cannot be increased. 

The intermediate heights can be varied, the various thicknesses 
being “ to the tier of beams nearest ” thereto. 


As many stories as desired may be placed within the given total heights. 













































































9 


DWELLING HOUSE WALLS. 


Party and side walls have the same thickness. 
Front and rear walls may be -I inches less in thickness. 


(Fire-proof buildings.) 

No. 7. 



The intermediate heights can be varied, the various thicknesses 
being “ to thejier of beams nearest ” thereto. 





































10 


WAREHOUSE WALLS. 

(For buildings other than Dwellings, except Churches, Thea¬ 
tres and Schoolhouses.) 

Farty and side walls have the same thickness. 

Front and rear walls may be 4 inches less in thickness. 

(If the building be more than 30 feet in width between walls, 
or more than 125 feet in depth, walls must be made thicker.) 


No. 10. 



The total heights cannot be increased. 

The intermediate heights can be varied, the various thicknesses, 
being “ to the tier of beams nearest ” thereto. 















































11 


WAREHOUSE WALLS. 

(For buildings other than Dwellings, except Churches, Theatres, 
4 and Schoolhouses.) 

Party and side walls have the same thickness. 

Front and rear walls may be 1 inches less in thickness. 

(If the building be more than 30 feet in width between walls, or 
more than 125 feet in depth, walls must be made thicker.) 

(Fire proof buildings.) 

No. 13. 


oS 



The total heights cannot be increased. 

The intermediate heights can be varied, the various thicknesses 
being u to the tier of beams nearest ” thereto. 



















































































12 


WAREHOUSE WALLS. 


(For buildings other than Dwellings, except Churches, Thea¬ 
tres and Schoolhouses.) 

Party and side walls have the same thickness. 

Front and rear walls may be 4 inches less in thickness. 

(If the building be more than 30 feet in width between walls, 
or more than 125 feet in depth, walls must be made thicker.) 

(Fire-proof building.) 

No. 14- 



The intermediate heights can be varied, the various thicknesses 
being “ to the tier of beams nearest” thereto. 




































13 


In dwelling-houses not over twelve feet six inches in 
width, and not over fifty feet high, the centre wall between 
any two such houses alternating shall not be less than eight 
inches thick.* 

All stud partitions which may be placed in the cellar or 
lower story of any house shall have a good solid stone or 
brick foundation wall under the same, which shall be built 
up to the top of the floor level; and the sill of said stud 
partition shall be of locust, and on this sill the studs shall 
be set. 


For narrow 
dwellings. 


Stud parti¬ 
tions in cellar. 


The party walls of dwellings over sixty 
feet high shall in no part be less than sixteen 
inches thick. 

Recesses for stairways or elevators may be left in the 

foundation or cellar walls, hut in no case shall the walls he 

of less thickness than the walls of the first storv. 

«/ 

The walls of each story shall be built up to the full 
thickness thereof to the top of the beams above. 


Tliis applies 
to Nos. 3 & 4 
Illustrations 


Party walls. 


Recesses in 
walls. 


Full thickness 
of walls to top 
of beams. 


§ 7. Section four hundred and seventy-seven of said act 
is hereb}' amended so as to read as follows : 


No. 8 

Illustration. 


§ 477. The walls of all warehouses, stores, 
workshops, factories or buildings other than 
dwellings (except churches, theatres and school 
houses) less than thirty feet in width, shall 
not be less than twelve inches thick to the 
height of forty feet. 


Thickness of 
bearing walls 
for stores, etc. 


Not exceeding 
40 feet in 
height. 


No. 9 

Illustration 


Nos. 10, 11, 
12, 13, 14, 
Illustrations. 


If above forty feet in height, and not over 
sixty feet in height, the walls shall not be less 
than sixteen inches thick to the height of for¬ 
ty feet or to the top of the nearest tier of 
beams thereto. 


Not exceeding 
60 feet in 
height. 


Exceeding 60 
feet in height. 

c 


If above sixty feet in height, the walls 
shall be four inches thicker than is in the last 
section severally specified for dwelling-houses. 


* This means that where two houses are built on a twenty-five feet 
lot, the floor beams must rest on the outer walls, and the centre or di¬ 
vision wall then be built up. 









14 


When walls 
are to be 
thicker. 


Walls of 
buildings over 
125 feet in 
depth. 


Partition 
walls and 
girders. 


Bearing 
strength for 
girders and 
piers. 


Requirements 
for piers un¬ 
der columns. 


If over thirty feet in width between walls, 
the walls shall be four inches more than is in 
this section specified for every fifteen feet or 
fraction thereof more than thirty feet in 
width. 

And all buildings that are in this section 
described that are over one hundred and twen¬ 
ty-five feet in depth, without a cross wall or 
proper piers or buttresses, shall have the side 
or bearing walls increased in thickness four 
inches more than is herein specified. 


This applies 
to Nos. 8, 9, 
10 , 11 , 12 , 
13, 14, 
Illustrations. 


In all stores, warehouses or factories, over twenty-five 
feet in width, shall be brick partition walls, or girders 
supported on iron or wooden columns or piers of masonry ; 
the partition walls, or girders, shall be so placed that the 
space between any two shall not exceed twenty-four feet,* 
and the iron or wooden columns or piers of masonry, and 
girders shall be made of sufficient strength to bear safely 
the weight to be imposed upon them, and of sufficient 
diameter to bear any lateral strain imposed, and in no 
case shall be less than sufficient to sustain the weight of 
two hundred and fifty pounds for every square foot of the 
floor or floors that rest upon them, exclusive of the weight 
of the material employed in their construction, and shall 
have a footing course and foundation wall of the thickness 
required for walls, with inverted arches under and between 
the columns, of not less than two footing courses of large, 
well-shaped stone laid crosswise, edge to edge, and at least 
ten inches thick in each course, or one footing course of 
stone laid upon a concrete bed not less than twelve inches 
thick, and the pier above shall be built up with stone or 
brick properly bonded to the height required to receive a 
capstone of cut granite or blue stone at least twelve inches 


* The former limitation of the width of such buildings to 
seventy-five feet was, by a misunderstanding of a request made by the 
Board of Fire Underwriters, omitted in the passage of this law. That 
limit for buildings when not constructed fire-proof, it is confi¬ 
dently predicted, will be duly restored by an amendment to this law. 





15 


thick and not less than twelve inches wider each way than 
the size of the post or column, and said cap shall be set 
solid to receive the same ; and all foundations for piers, 
posts, or columns shall be increased in size in proportion to 
the height of the building and the weight to be imposed 
thereon. 

In case the walls of any building (not excepting dwell¬ 
ings) are less than twenty-four feet apart, and less than 
forty feet in depth, or there are crosswalls which intersect 
and strengthen the walls, not more than forty feet distant 
or between the same, the inside wall may be reduced in 
thickness in just proportion to the number of crosswalls, 
and their nearness to each other, provided, however, that 
this clause shall not apply to walls below seventy feet in 
height, and that no such wall shall be less than twelve 
inches thick at the top, and gradually increased in thick¬ 
ness by set-offs to the bottom, and the superintendent of 
buildings shall be authorized and empowered to decide (ex¬ 
cept where herein otherwise provided for) wherein the re¬ 
duced thickness of the walls herein mentioned may be per¬ 
mitted according to the peculiar circumstances of each case, 
without endangering the strength and safety of the build¬ 
ing. 

The walls of churches, theatres, foundries, machine 
shops, school-houses, and other buildings of a public char¬ 
acter shall in no case be less than is in this title specified 
for warehouses; and said buildings shall have, in addition 
thereto, such piers or buttresses as in the judgment of said 
superintendent may be necessary to make a safe and sub¬ 
stantial building. 

In all the walls that are built hollow the same amount 
of stone or brick shall be used in their construction as if 
they were solid, as above set-forth, and no hollow wall 
shall be built unless the two walls are connected by proper 
ties, either of brick, stone, or galvanized iron, placed not 
over twenty-four inches apart. 

The height of walls shall be computed from the curb 
level at the centre of the building to the top of the roof 
beams of the highest part of the building. 




When walls 
may be reduc¬ 
ed in thick¬ 
ness. 


Walls for pub¬ 
lic buildings. 


Hollow walls. 


Point to com¬ 
pute height 
of walls. 


To determine 
the width of 
buildings. 


Cutting off 
walls. 


Temporary 

supports. 


Braces. 


Stone walls 
how con¬ 
structed. 


Headers in 
stone walls. 


ft 


16 

The width of buildings, for the purposes of this title, 
shall be determined by the way the beams are placed, the 
lengthwise of the beams shall be considered and taken to be 
the widthwise of the building, bearing walls shall be those 
walls on which the beams, trusses or girders rest. 

[§ 478 is repealed.] 

§ 9. Section four hundred and seventy-nine of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 479. ~No wall of any building now erected, or here¬ 
after to be built or erected, shall be cut off or altered below 
without permission so to do having been first obtained from 
the superintendent of buildings. 

Every temporary support placed under any structure, 
wall, girder or beam, during the erection, finishing, alter¬ 
ation or repairing of any building, or any part thereof, 
shall be equal in strength to the permanent support re¬ 
quired for such structure, wall, girder or beam. 

And the walls of every building, during the erection or 
alteration, shall be strongly braced from the beams of each 
story until the building is inclosed, and the roof tier of 
beams shall be strongly braced to the beams of the story 
below until all the floors in the said story are laid. 

§ 8. Section four hundred and eighty of said act is here¬ 
by amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 480. All stone walls twenty-four inches or less in 
thickness shall have at least one header extending 
through the walls in every three feet in height from the 
bottom of the wall, and in every four feet in length, and if 
over twenty-four inches in thickness, shall have one header 
for every six superficial feet on both sides of the wall, and 
running into the wall at least two feet. All headers shall 
be at least eighteen inches in width and eight inches in 
thickness, and consist of a good flat stone dressed on top 
and bottom beds, and no stone shall be laid in such walls in 
any other position than its natural bed. 


/ 


Stone ashlar shall be anchored to the backing, and the 
backing shall be of such thickness as to make the walls (in¬ 
dependent of the ashlar) conform as to thickness with the 
requirements of sections four hundred and seventy-six and 
four hundred and seventy-seven of this act. 

And all bearing walls faced with Philadelphia or other 
faced brick, laid in running bond, shall be four inches 
thicker than the walls are required to be under any section 
of this title. 

Stone or other walls shall not be built in freezing weath¬ 
er, and if frozen, shall not be built upon when, in the 
judgment of the superintendent of buildings, it is unsafe 
to do so, until thawed and rebuilt, if injured. 

§ 10. Section four hundred and eighty-one of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 481. Every isolated pier less than nine superficial feet 
to the base, supporting any beam or girder, or arch on 
which a wall rests, or lintel spanning an opening over eight 
feet supporting a wall, shall at intervals, not over thirty 
inches in height, have built into it a blue stone bond 
not less than four inches thick, or a cast iron plate of equal 
strength and of full size of the pier, and all piers shall be 
built of good, hard and well burnt brick, laid in cement 
mortar, and all brick shall be well wet when laid. 

The walls under all iron or wooden girders, iron or 
other colums, shall have a cap stone of cut granite or blue 
stone at least twelve inches thick, or a cast iron plate of 
equal strength, by the whole thickness of the wall, and at 
least two feet in length. 

For piers fronting on a street the bond stone may con¬ 
form with the kind of stone used for the trimmings of the 
front. 

In any case where any iron or other column or post 
rests on any wall or pier built entirely of stone or brick, the 
said column or post shall be set on a base stone of cut 
granite, or blue stone, or an iron plate, or both combined, 
of such thickness as may be necessary to transmit the 
weight above. » 


Backing for 
stone ashlar. 


Face brick. 


Frozen walls. 


Isolated piers. 


Bond stones 
or cast iron 
plates. 


Cap stones or 
plates. 


Front bond 
stones. 


Strength of 
caps. 


18 


Retaining 

walls. 


Sidewalks. 


Coal hole cov¬ 
erings. 


Area cover¬ 
ings. 


In buildings where the space under the sidewalk is uti¬ 
lized, a sufficient stone or brick wall shall be built to retain 
the roadway of the street, and the side, end or party walls 
of such building shall extend under the sidewalk to such 
curb wall. 

The sidewalk in all such cases shall be of incombustible 
material entire, and shall be adequately supported by brick 
walls or iron beams and columns. 

Openings in such walls for the admission of coal or 
light shall be covered with lens lights in iron frames, or 
with iron covershaving a rough surface. No plain surface 
of glass shall be placed in any sidewalk where any one glass 
measures more than four inches square. 

Open areas shall be properly protected with suitable raih 
ings. And when such areas shall be covered over with 
iron, or with iron and glass combined, or with stone or 
other materials, sufficient strength in such covering shall 
be provided as will insure safety to persons walking on the 
same and to carry the loads which may be placed upon the 
same. 


Cement mor¬ 
tar, when to 
be used. 


When lime 
mortar. 


Hard brick. 


Heading 

courses. 


§ 11. Section four hundred and eighty-two of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 482. The walls of dwellings and all other buildings 
shall, below the surface of the ground, be built of stone or 
brick laid in cement mortar, and the backing up of all 
stone ashlar shall also be laid up with cement mortar ; all 
other walls may be built of brick or stone laid in lime 
mortar. 

The brick used in all buildings shall be good, hard and 
well-burnt brick, no swelled, refuse or soft brick shall be 
used, and in all brick walls every sixth course shall be a 
heading course, except, however, where walls are faced 
with brick in running bond, in which case every sixth 
course shall be bonded into the backing by cutting the 
course of face brick and putting in diagonal headers behind 
the same, or by splitting the face brick in half, and backing 
the same with a continuous row of headers. 


19 


# 


All brick laid between the first day of April and the 
first day of December shall be well wet before being laid. 

The sand used for mortar in all buildings, and in every 
part thereof, shall be clean, sharp sand, free from clay, 
loam, dirt or earthy matter, and shall not be finer than the 
standard sample kept in the office of the superintendent of 
buildings, and which sample shall be approved by the board 
of examiners named in this title, and said officer shall also 
keep such samples in suitable glass jars for the use of 
the officers and for the inspection of the public; cement 
mortar shall be made of sand and cement in the propor¬ 
tion of not more than three of sand to one of cement, 
and shall be used immediately after being mixed : lime 
mortar shall be made of not more than three parts of 
sand to one of lime, and shall not be used before being 
thoroughly slacked; concrete for foundations shall be 
made of not more than two parts of sand or gravel, one 
of cement, and three parts of small broken stone, all 
carefully mixed. No inferior cement or lime shall be 
nse'd. The joints of all walls shall be filled with mortar, 
and the joints of all flues shall be struck perfectly smooth. 

All plastering mortar for the scratch coat shall have 
a sufficient quantity of long hair in it, and the lathing, 
unless wire netting be used, shall have openings not less 
than five-sixteenths of an inch between the lath. 

No recesses for water or other pipes shall be made in a 
twelve-inch party wall, or in any other wall more than one- 
third of its thickness, and its recess around said pipe or 
pipes shall be filled up solid for the space of one foot on 
top and bottom of each story to more effectually cut off 
draft, and thus prevent the rapid spread of fire. 

Recesses for alcoves and similar purposes in dwelling- 
houses shall not be deeper than eight inches, and in no case 
shall there be less than eight inches of brick work on the 
back of such recess, and provided that not more than two 
such recesses, each not to exceed seven feet in width, shall 
be allowed in any one wall; and provided that such re¬ 
cesses shall not be permitted in dwellings wffiere the bear¬ 
ing walls are not more than twenty feet apart. 


Brick to be 
wet. 


Sand. 


Composition 
of mortar. 


Concrete. 


Joints of 
bricks. 


Lath and 
plaster. 


Recesses for 
pipes in walls. 


Recesses for 
alcoves. 


Proviso. 


I 


20 


Limit of side 
or end walls 
being carried 
in advance of 
front. 


Wall anchors. 


Thickness for 
stone ashlar. 


Ashlar an¬ 
chors. 


Beam anchors 


Girder straps. 


Pier anchors. 


§ 12. Section four hundred and eighty-three of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 483. In no case shall the side, end or party wall of any 
building, being an isolated building, or one of two or more, 
be carried up more than two stories in advance of the front 
wall, nor more than one story in advance of the rear wall. 

The front, rear, side and party walls of any building 
hereafter to be erected shall be anchored to each other 
every six feet in their height by wrought iron tie anchors, 
made of not less than one and a half inch by three-eighths 
of an inch. The side anchors shall be built into the side 
or party walls not less than sixteen inches and into the front 
and rear walls, so as to secure the front and rear walls to 
the side, end, or party walls. 

All stone used for the facing of any building (except 
where built with alternate headers and stretchers), and 
known as ashlar, shall not be less than ^four inches thick ; 
and shall be strongly anchored with iron anchors to each 
stone ; the size of these anchors shall be not less than one 
and one-quarter inch by one-qnarter of an inch. 

The side, end, or party walls shall be anchored to each 
tier of beams at intervals of not more than six feet apart, 
with good strong wrought iron anchors, not less than one 
and a half inches by half an inch, well fastened to the side 
of the beams by tw r o or more nails made of wrought iron 
at least one-fourth of an inch in diameter, and in stores, or 
warehouses, or public buildings, the ends of the anchors- 
shall be sharpened, turned and driven into the beams at 
least one inch in addition to the two nails before men¬ 
tioned ; and where the beams are supported by girders the 
girders shall be anchored to walls and to each other in like 
manner, and the ends of beams resting upon the girders 
shall be butted together end to end, and strapped by 
wrought iron straps of the same size and distance apart, 
and in the same beam as the wall anchors, and shall be 
turned down at the ends and fastened in the same manner 
as said wall anchors. 

Every pier or wall, front or rear, shall be well anchored 
to the beams of each story, with the same size anchors as 


in 


is required for side walls, and shall hook over the second 

beam, and each tier of beams, front and rear, opposite each 

pier shall have hard wood or Georgia pine anchor strips Anchorstri P s - 

dove-tailed into the beams diagonally, which strips shall 

■cover at least four beams, and be one inch thick and four 

inches wide, but no such anchor strips shall be let in within 

four feet of the centre line of the beams. 

§ 13. Section four hundred and eighty-four of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 484. The walls of all buildings that have not cor¬ 
nices or gutters and are over fifteen feet high shall be Parapet walls, 
carried up two feet above the roof, and coped with stone 
or well-burnt terra cotta, excepting, however, in case the 
building is isolated or is two feet or more higher or 
lower than the adjoining building, then the walls shall be 
•carried up not less than one foot high. 

If a mansard or French roof having over sixty de- Mansard roofs 
grees pitch be on any building except a wooden build- how con¬ 
ing, it shall be constructed of iron rafters, and lathed with 3tructed - 
iron lath on the inside and plastered, or filled in with 
fire-proof material not less than three inches thick, and 
covered with metal or slate. 

All bulkheads, covering for necessary tanks, or cover- Bulkheads on 
ing for the machinery of elevators, shall be built of the roofs * 
same materials and manner as the roofs above mentioned, 
except as herein otherwise provided. 

§ 14. Section four hundred and eighty-five of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 485. All iron lintels shall have a bearing proportion- ?^ r }^ te f { ) g r 
ate to the weight to be imposed thereon, but no lintel 
used to span any opening more than ten feet in width 
shall have a bearing less than twelve inches at each end, On walls, 
if resting on a wall, but if resting on an iron post, shall 
have a bearing of at least eight inches at each end by 0n iron posts ’ 
the thickness of the wall to be supported, and if the 
span be over fifteen feet the bearing shall be increased in 


22 


Iron posts for 
party walls. 


Bearing’ of lin¬ 
tels on inter¬ 
mediate posts. 


Bearing 
blocks or 
plates under 
ends of girders 


Limit of span 
for iron lintels 


Arch-girders. 


Wrought iron 
beams. 


Width of 
girders. 


proportion, and on the front of any building where the 
supports are of iron, brick or stone, the supports shall 
not be less than twelve inches when situated at the ends 
of the girder, and in* no case less than the thickness of 
the wall above. If the posts are to be party posts in 
front of a party wall, and are to be used for two houses, 
then the said posts shall not be less than sixteen inches on 
the face by the thickness of the wall above, and if the 
party wall be more than sixteen inches thick, then the posts 
shall be the thickness of the wall on the face ; intermediate 
posts may be used and shall be sufficiently strong, and the 
lintels thereon shall have sufficient bearing to carry the 
weight above with safety, as in this act provided. 

When the lintels or girders are supported at the ends 
by brick walls or piers they shall rest upon cut granite or 
blue stone blocks at least twelve inches thick, or upon cast- 
iron plates of equal strength, by the full size of the bear¬ 
ing, and in case the opening is less than twelve feet, the 
stone block may be six inches in thickness, or cast iron 
plates of equal strength, by the full size of the bearing, 
and in all cases where the girder carries a wall and rests on 
brick piers, the bearing shall be sufficient to support the 
weight above with safety ; and iron girders used to span 
openings more than twelve feet in width, and upon which 
a wall rests, or on which floor beams are carried, shall be 
either arch girders, having a rise of not less than one inch 
to each foot of span between the bearings, with one or 
more wrought iron tie rods of sufficient strength to resist 
the thrusts, well fastened at each end of the girder, or 
wrought iron beams or girders of sufficient strength may 
be used. All lintels or girders placed over any opening in 
the front, rear or side of a building, or returned over a 
corner opening, when supported by brick piers, iron or 
stone columns, shall be of iron and of the full breadth of 
the wall supported. 

In all buildings hereafter to be erected or altered, where 
any iron column or columns are used to support a wall or 
part thereof, whether the same be an exterior or interior 
wall, excepting a wall fronting on a street, the said column 


23 


shall be either constructed double, that is, an outer and in¬ 
ner column, and the inner column shall be of sufficient 
strength to alone sustain safely the weight to be imposed, 
or a column having internal webs of sufficient strength, in¬ 
dependent of the outer iron, to bear the imposed load, or 
such other column may be used as the superintendent of 
buildings may certify to as being of proper and sufficient 
character to secure resistance to fire. 

All iron beams, girders, lintels and all columns shall be 
made of the best materials and in the best manner. 

All iron posts in front of all party w r alls shall be built 
up solid with masonry and made perfectly tight between 
the posts and walls, to effectually prevent the passage of 
smoke or fire. 

Any or all cast iron posts or columns which are to be 
used for the support of wooden or iron girders or brick 
wralls, not cast with one open side or back, before being set 
up in place, shall have a three-eighths of an inch hole drilled 
in the shaft of each post or column, by the manufacturer 
or contractor furnishing the same, to exhibit the thickness 
of the castings, and any other similar sized hole or holes 
which the superintendent of buildings, or his duly author¬ 
ized representative, may require to be drilled in the said 
posts or columns, shall be done and performed by the said 
manufacturer or contractor at his own expense, and at any 
time prior to the setting in place of the said posts or 
columns. 

All iron posts or columns shall have solid iron plates on 
top of each to prevent the passage of smoke or fire through 
them from one story to another, and the bottom and top of 
all iron posts and columns, caps and bases shall be made 
true. 

No post or column shall be used in any building of a 
less average thickness of shaft than three-quarters of an 
inch. 

The iron arches, or the usual light castings connecting 
the columns of an iron front shall be filled in from the 
soffits to the sills with brick work not less than eight 
inches thick. 


Fire-proof col¬ 
umns. 


Quality of 
iron work. 


Party wall 
iron posts to 
be filled in. 


Iron columns 
to be drilled to 
exhibit their 
thickness. 


Iron plates be¬ 
tween col¬ 
umns. 


Iron columns, 

minimum 

thickness. 


Iron fronts, 
arches to be 
filled in. 




24 


Arches oyer 
door and win¬ 
dow openings. 


Lintels. 


Inside lintels. 


Centres for 
arches. 


Fire-place 

arches. 


Iron shutters. 


§ 15. Section four hundred and eighty-six of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 486. All openings for doors and windows in all build¬ 
ings, except as otherwise provided, shall have a good and 
sufficient arch of stone or brick, well-built and keyed, and 
with good and sufficient abutments, or a lintel of stone or 
iron as follows: For an opening not more than four feet 
in width, the lintel shall not be less than eight inches in 
height; and for an opening not more than six feet in width? 
the lintel shall not be less than twelve inches in height, and 
for an opening exceeding six feet in width, and not more 
than eight feet in width, the lintel shall be of iron or stone, 
and the full thickness of the wall to be supported; and 
every lintel over such opening six feet or less in width in 
all walls shall be not less than four inches thick, if of stone, 
and shall have a bearing at each end of not less than live 
inches on the walls; and on the inside of all openings in 
which the lintel shall be less than the thickness of the wall 
to be supported, there shall be a good timber lintel on the 
inside of the other lintel, which shall rest at each end not 
more than three inches on any wall, and shall be chamfered 
at each end, and shall have a double rowlock arch turned 
over said timber lintel ; arches built of stone or brick may 
be turned over openings on a center, which may be struck 
after the arch is turned, provided the arch has a good and 
sufficient rise, and that the piers or abutments are of suffi¬ 
cient strength to bear the thrust of the arch ; and arches 
over openings or fire-places shall be built of good hard brick, 
laid close joints and well keyed. 

§ 16. Section four hundred and eighty-seven of said act 
is amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 487. All stores or storehouses or other buildings which 
are more than two stories, or above twenty-five feet in 
height above the curb level, already erected or that may 
hereafter be built in said city, except dwelling-houses or 
churches, shall have on their rear and side doors, blinds 
or shutters made of iron on every window and opening 




25 


above the first story, and also on their front openings above 
the first story, if fronting on streets which are less than 
thirty feet in width. 

All occupants of buildings in which such outside shut¬ 
ters are placed shall close the shutters of the rear and side 
windows, and when front shutters are provided, shall also 
close the window" on each side of the front next the adjoin¬ 
ing buildings on each story, at the close of business ; and 
all the shutters of the other windows of the front above the 
first story to remain open and fitted so that they can be 
closed readily by the firemen, when needed to protect the 
buildings from fire. 

Any building hereafter erected, other than a dwelling- 
house or a fire-proof building, shall not have inside iron 
shutters to -windows above the first story. 

All windows and openings above the first story may be 
exempted from having shutters in the manner hereinafter 
provided. 

In any store or building in the city of New York, in 
-which there shall be any hoistway or freight elevator or 
well-liole, the openings thereof, through and upon each 
floor of said building, shall be provided with and pro¬ 
tected by a substantial railing, and with such good and 
sufficient trap-doors with which to close the same, or both, 
as may be directed and approved by the superintendent of 
buildings, and such railings or trap-doors shall be kept closed 
at all times, except when in actual use by the occupant or 
occupants of the building having the.use or control of the 
same. 

* 

And in all buildings hereafter erected the roof immedi¬ 
ately over the said hoistway, elevator or well-hole shall be 
covered with a skylight of suitable size. 

All passenger or freight elevators hereafter placed in 
any building shall be inclosed with solid brick walls ex¬ 
tending through and three feet above the roof, having 
suitable openings in same, and the roof over all elevators 
shall be made of fire-proof materials, and covered with a 
glass skylight, and arranged so as to be readily opened in 
case of fire; but this requirement shall not ay>ply to such 


Iron shutters 
to be closed. 


Inside iron 
shutters pro¬ 
hibited. 


Hoistway 

openings. 


Trap-doors 
and railings. 


Sky lights 
over elevator 
openings. 

Elevators to 
be enclosed. 


Exceptions. 


26 


Passenger ele¬ 
vators, inspec¬ 
tion of. 


Qualifications 
to be pre¬ 
scribed. 

Necessary re¬ 
pairs to be 
made. 


Certificate to 
be obtained 
• after notice 
to repair. 


Chimneys and 
flues, how 
constructed. 


Tin flues, reg¬ 
ister boxes, 
etc. 


Wood furring. 


fire-proof buildings as are now or may hereafter be erected 
in accordance with subdivisions one, two, three and four 
of section four hundred and ninety-two of this act; nor 
shall this requirement be construed to include dumb¬ 
waiters in dwelling-houses which do not extend over two 
floors in height. 

The superintendent of buildings, by and with the ap¬ 
proval of the board of fire commissioners, shall make uni¬ 
form regulations for the periodical inspection of passenger 
elevators, with a view to the safety of passengers ; and 
shall also prescribe suitable qualifications for persons who 
are placed in charge of running passenger elevators. The 
regulations so made shall require any repairs found neces¬ 
sary upon inspection to be made without delay, and in case 
defects are found to exist which would endanger life by the 
continued use of such elevator, then upon notice from the 
superintendent of buildings the use of such elevator shall 
cease, and shall not again be used until a certificate shall 
be first obtained from said superintendent that such elevator 
has been put in safe order and is fit for use. 

§ 17. Section four hundred and eighty-eight of said act 
is amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 488. All chimneys and all Hues in stone or brick walls 
in any building hereafter erected, altered or repaired, with¬ 
out reference to the purpose for which they may he used, 
shall have the joints struck smooth on the inside, and no 
parging mortar shall be used on the inside, and the fire- 
backs of all chimneys hereafter erected shall not be less than 
eight inches in thickness, of solid masonry. And no tin 
or other metal flue or flues, pipe or pipes, or register box or 
boxes, of a single thickness of metal, used and intended to 
be used to convey heated air in any building hereafter built, 
altered or repaired, in any part of said city, shall be allowed 
unless the same shall be built in a wall of brick or stone; 
in all other cases the said flue or flues, pipe or pipes, regis¬ 
ter box or boxes, shall be made double ; that is, two pipes, 
one inside the other, at least one-half an inch apart; and no 
wooden furring or lath shall be placed against any flue, 


27 


metal pipe or pipes used to convey heated air or steam in 
any building; and when any wall shall hereafter be furred 
or lathed with wood, the space between the lathing and 
wall shall be tilled with plaster or brick, at the top and un¬ 
der sides of the floor beams of each story, so as to prevent 
fire passing from one floor to another. And no air-flue shall 
be used at any time as a smoke-flue. 

No steam pipe shall be placed within two inches of any 
timber or woodwork as aforesaid ; when the said space of 
two inches around the steam pipe is objectionable, it shall 
be protected by a soapstone or an earthern ring or tube. 

No base, or flooring, or roofing, or any other woodwork, 
shall be placed against any brick or other flue, until the 
same shall be well plastered with plaster of Paris behind 
such woodwork. 

All flues in any building shall be properly cleaned, and 
all rubbish removed, and the flues left smooth on the inside 
upon the completion of all such buildings as aforesaid. 

No chimney shall be started or built upon any floor or 
beam constructed of wood, and in no case shall a chimney 
be corbeled out more than eight inches from the wall, and 
in all such cases the corbeling shall consist of at least five 
courses of brick; but if supported by piers, the said piers 
shall start from the foundation on the same line with the 
chimney breast, and shall not be less than sixteen inches, on 
the face, properly bonded into the w r alls. All hearths shall 
be supported by arches of stone or brick, and no chimney 
in buildings already erected or hereafter to be built shall be 
cut off below in whole or in part and supported by wood, 
but shall be wholly supported by stone, brick, or iron, and 
all chimneys in any building or buildings, as aforesaid, al¬ 
ready erected or hereafter to be erected or built, or any 
other chimney or chimneys in any part of said city, which 
shall be dangerous in any manner whatsoever, shall be re¬ 
paired and made safe or taken down. 

Cupalo chimneys of foundries shall extend at least five 
feet above the highest point of any roof within a radius of 
fifty feet of such cupalo, and be covered on top with heavy 
wire netting. 


Air flues. 


Steam pipes. 


Wood work 
against flues. 


Flues to be 
kept clean. 


Chimney 
breasts, how 
supported. 


Hearths, how 
supported. 


Unsafe chim¬ 
neys. 


Cupalo chim¬ 
neys. 


28 


Smoke pipes. 


Furnace 
smoke pipes. 


Furnaces. 


Portable fur¬ 
naces. 


Borders for 
registers. 


§ 18. Section four hundred and eiglity-nine of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 489. No smoke pipe in any building with wooden or 
combustible floors and ceilings shall hereafter enter any 
flue, unless the said pipe shall be at least eighteen inches 
from either the floors or ceiling; and in all cases where 
smoke pipes from stoves pass through stud or wooden par¬ 
titions of any kind, whether the same be plastered or not, 
they shall be guarded by either a double collar of metal, 
with at least four inches air space and holes for ventilation, 
or by a soapstone ring not less than three inches in thick¬ 
ness and extending through the partition, or by a solid 
coating of plaster of Paris three inches thick, or by an 
earthenware ring, three inches from the pipe. 

In all cases where hot water, steam, hot air or other fur¬ 
naces are used, the furnace smoke pipe must be kept at 
least two feet below the beams or ceiling above the same, 
unless said beams or ceilings shall be properly protected by 
a shield or tin plate suspended above said smoke pipe with 
sufficient space for the free circulation of air above and be¬ 
low said shield; and the smoke pipe shall in all cases be 
kept at least eight inches from the beams or ceilings as 
aforesaid ; and the top of all furnaces set in brick must be 
covered with brick, slate or tin plate supported by iron 
bars, and so constructed as to be perfectly tight, said cover¬ 
ing to be in addition to and not less than six inches from 
the ordinary covering to the hot air chamber. If, how¬ 
ever, there is not height enough to build the furnace top at 
least four inches below the floor beams or ceilings, then the 
floor beams must be trimmed around the furnace and said 
covering and the trimmers and headers must be at least four 
inches from the same. The top of every portable furnace 
not set in brick shall be kept at least one foot below the 
beams or ceilings with a shield of tin plate, made tight, 
and suspended below the said beams or ceilings and ex¬ 
tending one foot beyond the top of the furnace on all 
sides. 

All hot air registers hereafter placed in the floor of 
any building shall be set in marble, or soapstone borders, 


29 


not less than two inches in width, all borders to be firm¬ 
ly set in plaster of Paris. All floor register boxes to be 
made of tin plate, with a flange on the top to fit the groove 
in the border ; the register to rest upon the same. There 
shall also be an open space of two inches on all sides of the 
register box, extending from the under side of the ceiling, 
below the register to the border in the floor; the outside 
of said space to be covered with a casing of tin plate, 
made tight on all sides, to extend from the under side of 
the aforesaid ceiling up to and turn under the said bor¬ 
der. Registers twelve by nineteen inches, or less than 
fifteen by twenty-five inches, shall have a space of three 
inches between the register box and casing; registers of 
fifteen by twenty-five inches and more shall have a space 
of three and one-half inches. 

All gas, water or other pipes which may be intro¬ 
duced into any building shall not be let into the beams 
unless the same be placed within thirty-six inches of the 
end of the beams; and in no building shall the said 
pipes be let into the beams more than two inches in depth. 

In all cases where hot water, steam, hot air or other 
heating appliances or furnaces are hereafter placed in 
any building, due notice shall first be given to the superin¬ 
tendent of buildings by the person or persons placing the said 
furnace or furnaces in said building, or by the contractor 
or superintendent of said work. 

All buildings, other than dwelling-houses, hereafter 
erected, and all factories, hotels, churches, theatres, school- 
houses, and other buildings of a public character now erect¬ 
ed, in which gas is used for lighting, shall have the gas sup¬ 
ply pipe from the street main provided with a stop-cock 
placed two feet outside of the curb line and so arranged as 
to be shut off in the street. 

§ 19. Section four hundred and ninety of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 490. In no building, whether the same be a frame 
building or otherwise, shall any wooden beam, girder or 


Register 

boxes. 


Gas and other 
pipes, when 
let into the 
beams. 


Notice to be- 
given when 
furnaces are 
put in. 


Gas supply 
pipes. 


Wooden 
beams, dis¬ 
tance from 
flues. 


30 


Furnace flues 


Boiler flues. 


Wooden 
beams in par¬ 
ty walls. 


Header and 

trimmer 

beams. 


timber be placed on or in a wall, within twelve inches of 
the inside of anv flue, whether the same be a smoke, air 
or any other flue, nor shall any timber be placed under 
any fire-place or hearth-stone, and no base, wainscoting, 
header or other woodwork shall be placed against any fur¬ 
nace or boiler flue, unless there be at least eight inches of 
brickwork, and at least one inch of pure plaster of Paris 
between it and the flue. 

All furnace flues shall have eight-inch backs or side 
walls, and the inside four inches from the bottom of the 
the flue to the top of the second tier of floor beams shall 
be of fire-brick laid in a fire-clay mortar, or such flues may 
be built of fire-clay or iron pipe of suitable size set in fire¬ 
clay mortar, provided said pipe be surrounded with an air 
space of not less than one inch and four inches of brick¬ 
work. In case any furnace flue is built in the usual chim¬ 
ney stack and is opposite to the trimmer arch, then that 

side of the flue next to the trimmer arch may be four 

«/ 

inches thick. 

All boiler flues shall be lined with four inches of fire¬ 
brick laid in fire-clay mortar from the bottom of the flue 
to the height of fifteen feet, or to the top of the second 
tier of floor beams, and no flue shall be hereafter used as a 
furnace or boiler flue unless entirely suitable for the pur¬ 
pose, and all such existing flues shall, if defective and out 
of order, or dangerous, be made safe in the manner herein 
specified. 

All wooden beams and other timbers in the party wall 
of every building hereafter to be erected or built of stone, 
brick or iron shall ,be separated from the beam or timber 
entering in the opposite side of the wall by at least four 
inches of solid mason work. No floor beams shall be sup¬ 
ported wholly upon any wood partition ; but every beam, 
except headers and tail beams, shall rest at one end four 
inches in the wall or upon a girder as authorized by this 
title. And every header or trimmer more than four feet 
long used in any building, except a dwelling, shall be 
hung in stirrup-irons of suitable thickness for the size of 
the timbers. No timber shall be used in any wall of any 


! 


31 

building where stone, brick or iron is commonly used, ex¬ 
cept lintels, as hereinbefore provided. 

In every building already erected or hereafter to be 
built, the floors shall be of sufficient strength to bear the 
weight imposed upon them, exclusive of the weight of the 
materials used in their construction ; and in all storehouses 
the weight that each floor will safely sustain upon each su¬ 
perficial foot shall be estimated by the owner thereof, and 
posted in a conspicuous place on each floor thereof; and 
the weight that may be placed on either of the floors of the 
said building or buildings shall be safely distributed 
thereon. 

And all timbers and beams used in any building hereaf¬ 
ter to be constructed, altered or repaired, whether the same 
be a frame building or otherwise, shall be of good, sound 
material, free from rot, sap, shakes or rotten knots, and of 
such size and dimensions as the purposes for which the 
building is intended require. 

§ 20. Section four hundred and ninety-one of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 491. In all buildings, every floor shall be of sufficient 
strength in all its parts to bear safely upon every superfi¬ 
cial foot of its surface seventy-five pounds ; and if used 
as a place of public assembly, one hundred and twenty 
pounds; and if used as a store, factory, warehouse, or for 
any other manufacturing or commercial purpose, from one 
hundred and fifty pounds and upwards; and every floor 
shall be of sufficient strength to bear safely the weights 
aforesaid, in addition to the weight of the materials of 
which the floor is composed. 

And every column, post or other vertical support shall 
be of sufficient strength to bear safely the weight of the 
portion of each and every floor depending upon it for sup¬ 
port, in addition to the weight required as above to be 
supported safely upon said portions of said floors. 

In all calculations for the strength of materials to be 
used in any building, the proportion between the safe 
weight and the breaking weight shall be as one to three for 


Strength of 
floors. 


Quality of 
timber. 


Bearing 
weight for 
floors. 


Strength of 
columns. 


Calculations 
for strength 
of materials. 


32 


Iron beams 
supporting a 
wall to be in¬ 
spected or 
tested. 


Bearing 
weight to be 
marked on 
iron beams. 


Quality of 
iron work. 


\ 


all beams, girders, and other pieces subject to a cross strain, 
and shall be as one to six for all posts, columns, and other 
vertical supports, and for all tie rods, tie beams, and other 
places subjected to a tensile strain. And the requisite 
dimensions of each piece of material is to be ascertained 
by computation by the rules given by Tredgold, Hodgkin- 
son, Barlow, Trautwine, Hatfield, Haswell, or the treatises 
of other authors now or hereafter used at the United 
States military academy at West Point, on the strength of 
materials, using for constants in the rules only such 
numbers as have been deduced from experiments on 
materials of like kind with that proposed to be used. 

Before any iron beam, lintel or girder, intended to span 
an opening over eight feet in length, to be used in any 
building hereafter erected or altered in the city of Hew 
York, shall be used for supporting a wall, the manufacturer 
or founder thereof, or the contractor, shall have the same 
inspected, and if required, tested as hereinbefore described, 
or by actual weight or pressure thereon to double the 
amount which is required to be placed on said beams or 
girders, under the direction and supervision of an inspector 
authorized by the superintendent of buildings (who shall 
be previously notified of the time when and the place 
where the said test will be made by the person or persons 
having the said beam, lintels or girders so tested), whose 
duty it shall be to have the weight which each of the said 
beams, lintels or girders will safely sustain properly stamped 
or marked in a conspicuous place thereon by the said man¬ 
ufacturer or founder thereof, or the contractor, and no 
greater weight shall be put or placed upon any said beam, 
lintel or girder, than the same shall be so marked as being 
capable of sustaining ; and in case any said column, beam, 
girder or lintel shall be rejected by said inspector as unfit 
to be used, the same shall not be used in, upon, or about 
any building or part thereof. 

All ironwork used in any building or part thereof 
hereafter to be erected or altered shall be of the best 
material and made in the best manner. 


33 


§ 21. Section four hundred and ninety-two of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : v 

§ 492. Every building hereafter erected (for which 
plans have not been, heretofore filed), the height of which 
exceeds seventy feet, shall be built tire-proof. 

In all fire-proof buildings hereafter to be constructed, 
where brick walls, with wrought iron beams or cast iron or 
wrought iron columns with wrought iron beams, are used 
in the interior, the following rules must be observed : 

1. All metal columns shall be made true and smooth at 
both ends, and shall rest on cast iron bed plates, and have 
cast iron caps, which shall also be made true. If ordinary 
brick arches are used between the beams, the arches shall 
have a rise of at least one inch and a quarter to each foot 
of space between the beams. 

2. Under the ends of all iron beams where they rest 
on the walls, a blue stone or cast iron template must be 
built into the walls, said templates to be eight inches wide, 
in twelve-inch walls, and in all walls of greater thickness 
to be twelve inches wdde, and such templates, if of stone, 
shall not be in any case less than two and one-half inches 
in thickness, and no template shall be less than twelve 
inches long. 

3. All arches shall be at least four inches thick ; arches 
over five feet span shall be increased in thickness toward 
the haunches by additions of four inches in thickness of 
brick ; the first additional thickness shall commence at two 
and a half feet from the centre of the span, the second ad¬ 
dition at six and a half feet from the centre of the span, 
and the thickness shall be increased thence four inches for 
every additional five feet of span toward the haunches, or 
the space between the beams may be filled in with sectional 
hollow brick of burnt clay, or some equally good material, 
having a depth of not less than one and one-half inches to 
each foot of span, a variable distance being allowed of not 
over six inches in the span between the beams. 

4. The said brick arches shall be laid to a line on the 
centres, with close joints, and the bricks shall be well wet, 
and the joints filled with cement mortar, in proportions of 

3 


Buildings ex¬ 
ceeding 70 ft. 
in height to be 
fire-proofed. 


Rules for con¬ 
structing fire¬ 
proof build¬ 
ings. 


Iron columns. 


Stone or iron 
templates. 


Segment 

arches. 


Flat arches. 


34 


Arches to be 
grouted. 


Tenements 
over 60 feet 
high to have 
fire-proofhalls 
and stairs and 
inclosed with 
brick walls. 


Roof cornices 
and gutters. 

\ 


Party walls to 
extend above 
roof and be 
coped. 

Unsafe wood¬ 
en cornices. 




not more than two of sand to one of^ cement by measure. 
The arches shall be well grouted and pinned or chinked 
with slate, and keyed. 

All dwelling-houses which are known as tenement or 
apartment-houses, which are arranged for or occupied by 
two or more families on any floor above the flrst, exceeding 
sixty feet in height, which may be hereafter built, or 
buildings which may be hereafter altered to be occupied as 
above stated, shall have the halls and stairs inclosed wdth 
twelve-inch brick walls, and the floors, stairs and ceilings of 
the halls shall be made wholly of iron, brick, stone, slate or 
marble. The stairs of such houses shall extend to the roof 
and be inclosed with a bulkhead built entirely of fire-proof 
materials, as hereinbefore provided. 

§ 22. Section four hundred and ninetv-three of said act 

fj 

is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

€J 

§ 493. All exterior cornices and gutters of all buildings 
hereafter to be erected or built shall be of some fire-proof 
material, and in every case the greatest weight of stone, 
iron or other material of which the cornices shall be con¬ 
structed shall be on the inside of the outer line of the wall 
on which the cornice shall rest, in the proportion of three 
of wall to two of cornice in weight, allowance being made 
for the excess of leverage produced by the projection of the 
cornice beyond the face of the wall; and all tire-proof 
cornice shall be well secured to the walls with iron 
anchors, independent of any woodwork, and in all cases 
the walls shall be carried up to the planking of the roof, 
and where the cornice projects above the roof, the wall 
shall be carried up to the top of the cornice, and the party 
wall shall in all cases extend up above the planking of the 
cornice and be coped, and all exterior wooden cornices that 
may now be or that may hereafter become unsafe or rotten 
shall be taken down, and if replaced shall be constructed of 
some tire-proof material; and all exterior cornices of wood 
or gutters that may hereafter be damaged by fire to the 
extent of one third shall be taken down, and if replaced, 
shall be constructed of some fire-proof material; but if not 
damaged to the extent of one-third, the same may be 


« 


35 


repaired with the same kind of material of which it was 
originally constructed. 

All buildings shall be kept provided with proper 
metallic leaders for conducting water from the roof in 
such manner as shall protect the walls and foundations 
from damage, and in no case shall the water from the said 
leaders be allowed to flow upon the sidewalk, but shall be 
conducted by drain-pipe or pipes to the sewer. 

§ 23. Section four hundred and ninety-four of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 494. The planking and sheathing of the roof of every 
building erected or built as aforesaid shall in no case be 
extended across the front, rear, side, end or party wall 
thereof, and every such building and the tops and sides of 
everv dormer window thereon shall be covered and roofed 

t/ 

with slate, tin, zinc, copper or iron, or such other quality of 
fire-proof roofing as the superintendent of buildings, under 
his certificate, may authorize, and the outside of the frames 
of every dormer window hereafter placed upon any build¬ 
ing as aforesaid shall be made of some fire-proof material. 
And no wooden building hereafter erected or built, or 
already erected in any part of the said city, more than two 
stories or above twenty feet in height above the curb level 
to the highest part thereof, which shall require roofing, 
shall be roofed with any other roofing or covering except 
as aforesaid. Nothing in this section shall be construed to 
prohibit the repairing of any shingle roof, provided the 
building is not altered in height. 

All buildings in the city of New York, hereafter to be 
built, shall have scuttle frames and covers, covered with 
some fire-proof materials ; the framework of bulkheads shall 
be covered with not less than two inches of fire-proof ma¬ 
terials and tinned, and doors covered with metal on both 
sides and edges, and scuttles in all tenement-houses shall 
have stationary iron ladders leading to the same, and all 
scuttles or ladders shall be kept so as to be ready for use 
at all times, and all scuttles shall not be less in size than 
two by three feet; and if a bulkhead is used or substituted 
in any building in place of a scuttle, it shall have stairs 


Metallic 

leaders. 


Leaders not to 
discharge up¬ 
on sidewalk. 


ltoof planking 


Metal roofing. 


Shingle roofs, 
repairing of. 


Scuttles and 
bulkheads. 


Scutttle lad¬ 
ders. • 


Bulkhead 
stairs and 
doors. 


Skylights. 


Frame build¬ 
ing limits. 


W ooden fen¬ 
ces, signs, bal¬ 
conies, and pi¬ 
azzas. 


Privies. 


Ferry houses 
and pier sheds 


with sufficient guard or handrail leading to the roof ; and in 
case the building shall be a tenement house, the door in 
the bulkhead, or any scuttle, shall at no time be locked, bnt 
may be fastened on the inside by movable bolts or hooks. 

All skylights more than three feet square placed in any 
building, the sash and frame thereof shall he constructed 
of iron and glass. 

§ 24. Section four hundred and ninety-five of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 495. No frame or wooden building for which a per¬ 
mit has not already been granted by the superintendent of 
buildings, shall be built, except as hereinafter provided for,, 
south of One Hundred and Fortv-ninth street, nor shall 
any Irame tenement-house or frame house for more than 
two families be built north of One Hundred and Forty- 
ninth-street.* 

This section shall not be construed to prevent the erec¬ 
tion of fences of wood eight feet high, or feigns over two 
feet high, piazzas or balconies of wood which do not exceed 
eight feet in width, and which do not extend more than 
three feet above the second story floor beams ; provided 
that such piazzas or balconies are open on the front and 
have brick ends not less that eight inches thick, carried up 
above the roof and coped with stone. And the roof of all 
piazzas shall be covered with some flre-proof material. And 
any bay or oriel window that does not extend more than 
three feet above the second story floor of any dwelling- 
house to which the same be attached may be built of wood. 

All privies not exceeding ten feet square and eight feet 
high may be built of wood, but the roof must be covered 
with metal, gravel or slate. 

And all steam-boat or ferry houses or other structures 
upon or adjoining any pier, slip or bulkhead in said city shall 
not be constructed except in such manner and of such ma¬ 
terials as the Are department may determine and designate ; 

And any sign, of whatever material it may be construe- 


* See the last paragraph of § 500. 






ted, now erected or that may be hereafter erected on the Unsafe si^-ns 
top of any street front of any building that may now be or 
that may hereafter become rotten or unsafe shall be taken 
down and removed. 


§ 25. Section four hundred and ninety-six of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 496. It shall not be lawful for the owner or owners 
of any brick front or wooden buildings already erected in 
said city that has a peak roof, to raise the same for the pur¬ 
pose of making a fiat roof thereon, unless the same be 
raised with the same kind of material as the building, and 
except that such new roof be covered with some of the ar¬ 
ticles mentioned in the four hundred and ninety-fourth 
section of this act, and unless all such buildings when so 
raised shall not exceed forty feet in height to the highest 
part thereof, and all such brick dwelling-houses that have 
eight-inch walls, the said wall shall not exceed forty feet 
in height; and also provided that all such dwelling-houses 
exceed twenty-five feet in height to the peak before 
the said alterations. If any such building shall have 
been built before the street upon which it is located is 
graded, or if the grade is altered, all such buildings may 
be raised or lowered to meet the requirements of such 
grade. And no brick front or wooden building whatso¬ 
ever in said city shall be enlarged or built upon, unless 
the exterior walls of said addition or enlargement be con¬ 
structed of fire-proof materials; provided, however, that 
such brick front or wooden building only may be raised 
or lowered or altered under the same circumstances, and 
in the same manner especially provided for in this section. 

And no Avooden building shall be reinoA r ed until a sworn 
petition setting forth the purposes of said removal and the 
uses to which said building is to be applied is filed in the 
office of the superintendent of buildings, and the written 
consent of said superintendent is first obtained therefor. 

§ 26. Section four hundred and ninety-seven of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows: 


Raising roof 
from peak to 
flat roof. 


Proviso. 


Raising or 
lowering 
buildings to 
conform to 
new street 
grade. 


Removing 
wooden build¬ 
ings. 


3S 


Frame build¬ 
ings damaged 
by fire. 


Amount of 
damage, how 
ascertained. 


Frame dwel¬ 
lings not to be 
used for other 
purposes. 


Buildings not 
to be altered 
until after ex¬ 
amination. 


§ 497. Every wooden or frame building with a brick or 
other front situated in the said city which may hereafter 
be damaged by fire or otherwise, to an amount not greater 
than one-half of the value thereof at the time of such 
damage may be repaired or rebuilt; but if such damage 
shall amount to more than one-half of such value there¬ 
of, exclusive of the value of the foundation, then such 
building shall not be repaired or rebuilt, but shall be taken 
down. The amount and extent of such damage, by fire or 
otherwise, shall be determined by one surveyor appointed 
by said superintendent of buildings, and one surveyor ap 
pointed by the owner or owners of the said premises; and 
in case these two do not agree, they shall appoint a third 
party, and a decision of a majority of them, reduced to 
writing and sworn to, shall be conclusive, and such build¬ 
ing shall in no manner be repaired or rebuilt until after 
such decision shall have been rendered. 

And no frame building now used as a dwelling shall be 
hereafter altered or used as a factory, warehouse, or any 
other purpose, except the same be altered to conform to the 
provisions of this title. 

§ 27. Section four hundred and ninety-eight of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 498. No building alreadv erected, or hereafter to be 
built in said city, shall be enlarged, raised, altered or built 
upon in such manner, that were such building wholly built 
or constructed after the passage of this act, it would be in 
violation of any of the provisions of this title. And before 
any building built of stone, brick, or iron, or any wooden 
building with or without a brick front, in any part of said 
city shall be enlarged, raised, altered or built upon, the 
same shall be first examined by said fire department to as¬ 
certain if the building or buildings, or either of them, are 
in good and safe condition to be enlarged, raised, altered or 
built upon, and no .such building as aforesaid, shall be en¬ 
larged, raised, altered or built upon, until after such exa¬ 
mination and decision ; and the decision of said fire depart¬ 
ment under such examination shall be final and conclusive 
in the premises, and shall be made without delay. 


30 


§ 28. Section four hundred and ninety-nine of said act 
is hereby amended so as to read as follows : 


§ 499. All dwelling-houses now erected, or that may 
hereafter be erected more than two stories in height, oc¬ 
cupied or built to be occupied by two or more families on 
any lioor above the first, and all buildings already erected 
more than three stories in height, occupied or used as a 
hotel, boarding or lodging-house, or any factory, mill, 
offices, manufactory or work-shop, shall be provided with 
such good and sufficient fire-escapes or other means of 
egress in case of fire as shall be directed by the superinten¬ 
dent of buildings, and said superintendent shall direct such 
means of egress to be provided in all cases. 

And the owner or owners of any building upon which 
any fire-escape may now be, or may hereafter be erected, 

shall keep the same in good repair and well painted, and 
no person shall at any time place any incumbrance of any 
kind whatsoever before or upon any said fire-escape, from 
any building in said city. 

The occupants of all dwelling-houses or factories, to 
which outside fire-escapes are attached, shall keep the same 
free and clear of all incumbrances, and it shall be the duty 
of all firemen, policemen and every officer of the bureau 
of inspection of buildings who shall discover any fire- 
escape, balcony or ladder of any fire-escape incumbered in 
any way, after a notice to remove (any incumbrance) and 
keep the same clear shall be given and a failure to comply 
(therewith to), apply to the nearest police magistrate for a 
warrant to arrest the occupant or occupants of said pre¬ 
mises of which the fire-escape forms a part, and the parties 
shall be brought before said magistrate, and if the case of 
obstruction be proved, the parties whose duty it is to keep 
them free shall be fined not more than ten dollars for each 
offiense, or may be imprisoned not to exceed ten days in the 
city prison, or both, in the discretion of said magistrate. 

In constructing all balcony fire-escapes, the manufac¬ 
turer thereof shall securely fasten-thereto, in a conspicious 
place, a cast-iron plate having suitable raised letters on 
same, to read as follows:—Notice! Any person placing any 


Fire escapes 
for dwellings 


Fire escapes 
to be kept in 
good repair 
and free from 
obstructions. 


Fire escape in¬ 
cumbrances. 


Penalty. 


Notice to be 
put on fire es¬ 
cape balconies 


40 


Arrangements 
for theatres 
and public 
buildings al¬ 
ready erected. 


Limit of re¬ 
quirements, 
for existing 
theatres. 


Theatres, etc. 


incumbrance on this balcony is liable to a penalty of ten 
dollars and imprisonment for ten days. 

In all places of public amusement and instruction, al¬ 
ready erected, the halls, doors, stairways, seats and 'aisles 
shall be so arranged as to facilitate egress in cases of fire or 
accident, as the superintendent of buildings, with the con¬ 
currence of the board of fire commissioners, may deem 
necessary for the public protection in such cases ; and all 
aisles and passage-ways in said building devoted to purposes 
of amusements or instruction shall be kept free from camp- 
stools, chairs, sofas, stoves or any other obstructions, and 
no person or persons shall be allowed to stand in or occupy 
any of the aisles or passage-ways during any performance, 
service, exhibition, lecture, concert, ball, or any public as¬ 
semblage; and the superintendent of buildings, with the 
concurrence of the board of fire commissioners, may make 
uniform regulations binding upon the owner, lessee, or 
manager of any of said buildings, directing any act or thing 
to be done, in or about the arrangement of said buildings, 
and the several appliances therewith connected, such as 
halls, doors, stairs, windows, seats, aisles, skylights, fire¬ 
walls, and fire-escapes, as the superintendent may deem ne¬ 
cessary, to afford the greatest possible security to the pub¬ 
lic, in the uses to which they may be severally applied, 
and the owner, lessee, or manager, of any place of amuse¬ 
ment or instruction shall put in such water-pipes and ap- 
pratus and arrange the gas-lights and water-pipes as the 
commissioners of the fire department may deem necessaay 
for the public safety. Nothing herein contained shall be 
construed to authorize or require any other alterations to 
existing theaters than are specified in this section. 

§ 29. Section five hundred of said act is hereby 
amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 500. Every theater or opera house, concert-hall, or 
other building, intended to be used for theatrical or opera¬ 
tic purposes, or for concerts, lectures, or public entertain¬ 
ments of any kind, hereafter erected, or which may be 
altered to be used for such purposes in the city of New 


41 


^ ork, shall be built in compliance with the following 
regulations relating to its structure, and no building here¬ 
after erected for the aforesaid purposes shall be opened to 
the public, until the same has been approved of as con¬ 
forming with the requirements of this title, by the 
superintendent of buildings, and the fire commissioners, 
respectively, and the mayor of the city of New York shall 
refuse to license and shall close the same, and prevent its 
opening until a certificate is given by the said superinten¬ 
dent and fire commissioners respectively that the building 
is according to the provisions of this title. 

Every theater, opera-house or building hereafter erected 
for theatrical, operatic, or for any public amusement, or 
the remodeling of any building for the aforesaid purposes 
shall have at least one front on the public highway or 
street, and in such front there shall be suitable means of 
entrance and exit for the audience. In addition to the 
aforesaid entrances and exits on the public highway, there 
shall be reserved for service in case of an emergency, in 
every and all such buildings, an open space equal to one- 
sixtli of the width of the building, outside to outside mea¬ 
surement, and in no case less than eight feet in width in 
the clear in its narrowest part on the one side not bordering 
on the street where said building is located on a corner 
lot; and on both sides of said building where there is but 
one frontage on the street or public highway. 


[Theatres.] 


Approval to 
be obtained 
before open¬ 
ing to the 
public. 


Street front¬ 
age. 


Open side 
space. 



Stage. 



Stage.' 











w 



Open. 

Auditorium 

r 

Open. 

<T> 

CT- 

Auditorium. 

- - 

Open. 

r 

Lobby. 



Lobby. 



Street. Street. 


[These engravings illustrate the location of open courts for 
theaters, as required by this law, and were furnished by Mr. F. H. 
Kimball, Architect, to whom is mainly due the credit of modifying 
and adapting to American ideas the Vienna theater law.] 






















42 


[Theatres.] 


Corridors. 


Openings. 


Gates. 


Side spaces 
and corridors 
to be kept 
clear from 
obstructions. 


Gradients. 


Exit^, width 
of. 


Said open space to begin from the line of the proscenium 
wall,and to extend the full length of the auditorium proper to 
the wall separating the same from the entrance lobby or vesti¬ 
bule. A separate and distinct corridor shall continue to the 
street from each space through such superstructure as may be 
built on the street side of the auditorium, said corridor to 



corridor. The openings into and out of said corridor shall 
not be reduced in width more than three feet less than the 
width of said open space, said openings to be provided 
with doors or gates opening toward the street; the outer 
or street doors or gates shall not project beyond the street 
line when opened. Recesses not exceeding four inches in 
depth, may be left in the walls on each side to receive 
said gates when opened. During the performance said 
doors or gates shall be kept open by strong locks; at other 
times they may be closed or fastened by movable bolts 
or locks. 

The said open space and corridors are not to be used for 
storage purposes or for any purpose whatsoever except for 
the several exits from the auditorium and stage, and must 
be kept free and clear during a performance. The said 
corridor shall have continuous walls of brick on each side 
the entire length. The level of said corridor shall not be 
greater than one step above the level of the sidewalk, 
where it begins at the street entrance. To overcome any 
difference of level existing between exits from the parquet 
and stage and level of corridor, gradients shall be employed 
of not over one foot in ten feet with no perpendicular 
risers. From the auditorium opening into the said open 
space there shall be two exits on each side (unless one side 
is on the street, in which case there may be more than two 
if desired) in each tier, from and including the parquet and 
each and every gallery. Each exit to be at least five feet 
in v idth in the clear, and provided with doors of iron or 
wood; if of wood, to be covered with iron or tin, both 
sides and edges. All of said doors shall open outward and 
must be fastened with movable bolts, the bolts to be kept 


43 


drawn during a performance. There shall be a balcony 
not less than fonr feet in width in the said open space or 
spaces at each level or tier above the parquet on each side 
of tne auditorium, of sufficient length to embrace the two 
exits, and from said balconies there shall be staircases ex¬ 
tending to the ground level, with a rise of not over eight 
and one-half inches to a step, and not less than nine inches 
tread. The staircase from the upper balcony to the next 
below must be not less than thirty inches in width in the 
clear, and from the first balcony to the ground, not less 
than four feet in width in the clear. All the before-men¬ 
tioned balconies and staircases shall be constructed of iron 
throughout, including the floor of said balconies, and of 
ample strength to sustain the load to be carried. Where 
one side of said building borders on a street there shall be 
balconies of like capacity with staircases carried to the 
grourffi, and all to be constructed of fire-proof materials 
approved by the superintendent of buildings. 

No portion of any building hereafter erected, used or 
intended to be used for theatrical or other purposes, as in 
this section specified, shall be occupied or used as an hotel, 
boarding and lodging-house, factory, v r ork-shop, or manu¬ 
factory, or for storage purposes, except as may be hereafter 
specially provided for. Said restriction relates not only to 
that portion of the building which contains the auditorium 
and the stage, but applies also to the entire structure in 
conjunction therewith. No work-shop, storage, or general 
property-room shall be allowed above the auditorium or 
stage, or under the same, or in any of the fly galleries. 
All of said rooms or shops may be located in the rear 
or at the side of the stage, but in such cases they 
shall be separated from the stage by a brick wall, and the 
openings leading into said portions shall have wrought-iron 
doors on each side of the openings, and hung to iron eyes 
built into the wall. No store or room contained in the 
building shall be let or used for carrying on any business 
dealing in articles designated by insurance companies as 
hazardous or extra-hazardous materials. No lodging ac¬ 
commodations, except for the janitor, shall be allowed in 


[Theatres.] 

Fire escape 
balconies. 


Use of theatre 
buildings for 
otherpurposes 
prohibited. 


u 


[Theatres.] 


Exterior walls 


Interior walls. 


Inclosure of 
staircases. 


Proscenium 

wall. 


Orchestra, 
when placed 
above the 
stage. 


Proscenium 

frame. 


Shafts and 
skylights over 
.stage. 


any part of tlie building communicating witli the audi¬ 
torium. 

The exterior walls of all theaters shall be built of stone 
or brick, and any facades or front constructed of iron filled 
in with brick of such thickness as to make the brick-work, 
independent of the facing, conform as to thickness with 
the requirements of this title. Interior walls of masonry 
hereafter described shall separate the auditorium from the 
stage, from the entrance vestibule, and from any room or 
rooms over the same, also for any lobbies, corridors, re¬ 
freshment or other rooms. All staircases shall be inclosed 
with brick walls or with fire-proof materials approved by 
the superintendent of buildings, in the stories through 
which they pass, and the opening of said staircases from 
each tier shall be the full width of said staircases. A fire¬ 
wall, to be built of brick, shall separate the auditorium 
from the stage, and the same shall extend at least four feet 
above the roof, and shall be coped. Above the proscenium 
opening there shall be an arch of fire-proof materials or an 
iron girder covered with fire-proof materials to protect it 
from the heat; if a girder, there shall be constructed a 
relieving arch over the same, the intervening space to be 
filled in with hollow bricks of the full thickness of the wall. 
The brick wall shall then be carried up above the roof, as 
above mentioned. Should, however, there be constructed 
an orchestra over the stage above the proscenium opening, 
either used in conjunction with the theater or otherwise, 
as the case may be, then the said orchestra shall be placed 
on the auditorium side of the proscenium fire-wall, and 
shall be entered only from the auditorium side of said wall. 
The moulded frame around the proscenium opening shall 
be formed in metal or plaster, and filled in solid with non¬ 
combustible materials, and securely anchored to the wall 
with iron. 

A shaft or shafts shall be provided over the stage, to 
and out of the roof, made of fire-proof materials throughout 
and of an area or combined area of at least one-eighth of 
said stage, fitted up with skylights having sliding sash and 
glazed with double thick sheet glass, not-exceeding one- 


45 


eighth of an inch thick, and each pane measuring not less 
three hundred square inches, and the whole of which sky¬ 
lights shall he so constructed as to open instantly on the 
cutting or burning of a hempen cord, which shall be 
arranged to hold said sky-lights closed, or some other 
equally simple approved device for opening them may be 
provided. 

All doorways or openings through the proscenium wall, 
in every tier, shall have wrought-iron or heavy wood doors 
on each face of the wall (if the doors are of wood, then to 
be covered with iron or tin on both sides and on the edges), 
which can be opened from either side at all times. Direct 
access to these doors shall be provided on both sides, and 
the same shall always be kept free from any incumbrance. 
Wrought-iron ladders, securely fixed to the wall on the 
stage side, shall be provided to overcome any difference of 
level existing between the floor or galleries on the stage 
side of the fire-wall, and those on the side of the audi¬ 
torium. 

All walls separating the auditorium from any vestibule, 
refreshment or other rooms shall be built of brick or stone. 
The entire main floor of the auditorium and vestibule, also 
the entire floor of the second story of the front superstruc¬ 
ture over the entrance lobby and corridors shall be fireproof, 
and the partitions in that portion of the building which 
contains the auditorium, the entrance vestibule, or any 
room or passage devoted to the use of the audience shall 
be constructed of fire proof materials, and none of the 
walls or ceilings shall be covered with wood sheathing or 
canvas ; but this shall not exclude the use of wood wains¬ 
coting to a height not to exceed six feet, which shall be 
filled in solid between the wainscoting and the wall with 
fire-proof materials. The walls separating the actors’ 
dressing-rooms from the stage and the partitions dividing 
the dressing-rooms, together with the partitions of any 
passage from the same to the stage, and all other partitions 
on or about the stage shall be constructed of some fireproof 
material approved by the superintendent of buildings. All 
doors in any of said partitions shall be constructed of wood 


[Theatres.] 


Fire-proof 
doors for pros¬ 
cenium wall 
door openings 


Ladders. 


Auditorium 

walls. 


Fire-proof 

floors. 

Partitions in 
auditorium. 

Wood sheath¬ 
ing and can¬ 
vass prohibit¬ 
ed. 


Wainscoting. 


Dressing- 

room 

partitions. 


Fire-proof 
doors for 
partition 
openings. 


4(3 


[Theatres.] 


Fire-proof 
cupboards 
and shelving. 


Gallery ceil¬ 
ings covered. 


Stage scenery. 


4 


Proscenium 

curtain. 


Seats in 
auditorium. 


and covered with iron or tin on both sides and edges, 
including the frame to which the doors are hung. All the 
shelving and cupboards in each and every dressing room, 
property room or other storage rooms shall be constructed 
of metal, slate, or some fire-proof material. All that 
portion of the stage not comprised in the working of 
scenery, traps and other mechanical apparatus for the pre¬ 
sentation of a scene, usually equal to the width of the 
proscenium opening, shall be built of iron beams filled in 
between with fire proof material, and all girders for the 
support of said beams shall be of wrought iron. The 
ceiling or under side of the fly galleries shall be covered 
with iron or tin over the entire exposed woodwork. 

All stage scenery, curtains and decorations made of 
combustible material, and all woodwork on or about the 
stage shall be saturated with some non-combustible material 
or otherwise rendered safe against fire, to the satisfaction 
of the commissioners of the fire department of the city of 
New York. The proscenium curtain shall be placed at 
least three feet distant from the footlights at the nearest 
point. The proscenium opening shall be provided with a 
fire-proof metal curtain or a curtain of asbestos or similar 
fire-proof material; and if of metal it may be made with an 
iron frame, well braced, in sections, and sliding at each end 
within iron grooves securely fastened to the brick wall, 
and each section to be filled in with wire mesh-work, the 
meshes being not over one inch, and the wire being not 
less than number fourteen, American gauge ; or some other 
approved construction of sliding or rolling metal curtain 
may be used. Said fire-proof curtain shall be raised at the 
commencement of each performance and lowered at the 
close of said performance, and to be operated by approved 
machinery for that purpose. 

All seats in the auditorium, excepting those contained in 
the boxes, shall be firmly secured to the floor, and no seat 
in the auditorium shall have more than six seats')* intervening 
between it and an aisle, and no camp-stools shall be placed 


t Thus allowing thirteen seats between two aisles. 





47 

in any aisle. All aisles in the auditorium shall have at 
least a width of twenty-two inches for every one hundred 
persons or part thereof, and no aisle shall he less than three 
feet wide at its narrowest part, and the same shall be in¬ 
creased in width toward the exit, at least one inch for 
every five running feet or part thereof. Every doorway 
of communication between aisles in the auditorium, and 
any lobby, corridor, or passage shall have a clear opening 
of not less than the full width of the aisle leading to such 
doorway. The aggregate capacity of the lobbies, corridors, 
passages and rooms for the use of the audience must, on 
each floor or gallery, be sufficient to contain the entire 
number to be accommodated on said floor or gallery in the 
following ratio, viz: two hundred and fifty superficial feet 
of floor room to be allowed for every one hundred persons. 

Gradients or inclined planes, as heretofore described, 
shall be employed instead of steps where possible to over¬ 
come slight differences of level in or between aisles and 
passages. All inclosed passages, corridors and staircases 
shall have on both sides a strong hand-rail, firmly secured 
in the wall about three inches distant therefrom, and about 
three feet above the floor or stairs. ISTo passage leading to 
any stairway communicating with any entrance or exit 
shall be less than four feet in width in any part thereof. 
Every theater accommodating three hundred persons shall 
have two exits at least; when accommodating five hundred 
persons, at least three exits shall be provided, and no door¬ 
way of exit or entrance for the use of the public shall be 
less than five feet in width, and for every additional one 
hundred persons or portions thereof to be accommodated 
in excess of five hundred, twenty inches additional exit 
width must be allowed ; all doors of exit or entrance shall 
open outward, and no such doors shall be closed and locked 
during any representation, or when the building is open to 
the public. 

Distinct and separate places of exit and entrance shall 
be provided for each gallery above the first. A common 
place of exit and entrance may serve for the main floor of 
the auditortum and the first gallery, provided its capacity be 


[Theatres.] 

Aisles in 
auditorium. 


Door open¬ 
ings, width of. 


Capacity of 
lobbies and 
standing 
room. 


Inclined 
planes in 
aisles. 


Hand rails. 


Width for 
passage ways. 


Exits, number 
proportioned . 
to capacity of 
house. 


Exit doors. 


Gallery exits 
and entrances. 


48 


[Theatres.] 


Stairways, if 
straight. 


Stairways, if 
circular. 


Stairs for the 
stage. 


Gallery stairs. 


Stairs, land¬ 
ings and steps. 


Steam boilers. 


equal to the aggregate capacity of the outlets from the * 
main floor and the said gallery. All stairs shall be con¬ 
structed of fire-proof material throughout. Stairways- 
serving for the exit of fifty people must, if straight, be at 
least four feet wide between rails, and if curved or wind¬ 
ing, five feet wide, and for every additional fifty people to 
be accommodated, six inches must be added to their width. 

It no case shall the risers of any stairs exceed seven and a 
half inches in height, nor shall the treads be less than 
eleven inches wide in straight stairs. In circular or wind¬ 
ing stairs, the width of the tread at the narrowest end shall 
not be less than seven inches. At least two independent 
staircases, with direct exterior outlets, shall be provided 
for each gallery in the auditorium, and the same shall 
be located on opposite sides of said gallery. At least 
two independent staircases, with direct exterior outlets, 
shall also be provided for the service of the stage, and shall 
be located on the opposite sides of the same. All stairways 
leading to the upper galleries of the auditorium shall be 
inclosed between walls of masonry on both sides. Stairs 
leading to the first or lower gallery may be left open on 
one side, in which case they must be constructed as herein 
provided for in similar stairs leading from the entrance 
hall to the main floor of the auditorium. But in no case 
shall stairs leading to any gallery be left open on both sides. 
When straight stairs return directly on themselves, a land¬ 
ing of the full width of both flights, without any steps, 
must be provided. Stairs turning at an angle must have 
a proper landing at said turn introduced without winders. 
In stairs, when two side flights connect with one main 
flight, no winders shall be introduced, and the width of 
the main flight shall at least be equal to the aggregate 
width of the side flights. Circular or winding stairs shall 
have proper landings introduced at convenient distances. 

Any steam boiler which may be required for heating or 
other purposes shall be located outside of the building, and 
the space allotted to the same shall be inclosed by walls of 
masonry on all sides, and the ceiling shall be constructed 


49 


of fire-proof material; all doorways in said walls to have 
wrought iron doors. 

Stand-pipes shall be provided with hose attachments on 
every floor and gallery as follows, viz.: One on each side 
of the auditorium in each tier; also one on «ach side of the 
stage in each tier, and at least one in the property-room 
and one in the carpenter’s shop, if the same be continguou 
to the theater, and all kept clear from obstruction. Said 
stand-pipes shall be kept constantly filled with water by 
means of an automatic steam pump or pumps of sufficient 
capacity to supply all the lines of hose when operated simul¬ 
taneously, and said pump or pumps shall be ready for im¬ 
mediate use at any time during a performance in said build¬ 
ing. Said stand-pipes shall also connect with a separate 
and distinct system of automatic sprinklers with fusible 
plugs, approved by the commissioner of the fire depart¬ 
ment ; said sprinklers to be placed up and around the pro¬ 
scenium opening and on the ceiling or roof over the stage 
at such intervals as will protect every square foot of stage 
surface when said sprinklers are in operation. A proper and 
sufficient amount of hose, not less than fifty feet, shall be 
kept always attached to each hose attachment. There shall 
also be kept in readiness for immediate use on the stage 
buckets of water, hand pumps or other portable fire extin¬ 
guishing apparatus and at least four axes on each tier or 
floor. 

Every portion of the building devoted to the uses or ac¬ 
commodation of the public, also all outlets leading to the 
highway, shall be well and properly lighted during every 
performance, and the same shall remain lighted until the 
entire audience has left the premises. Gas mains supply¬ 
ing any theater shall have independent connections for 
the auditorium and the stage, and provision shall be made 
for shutting of the gas from the outside. When interior 
gas-lights are not lighted by electricity, other suitable ap¬ 
pliances, to be approved of by the fire commissioners, must 
be provided. All suspended or bracket lights surrounded 
by glass, in the auditorium, or in any part of the building 
devoted to the public, shall be provided with a proper wire 
4 


[Theatres.] 


Stand pipes. 


Sprinklers. 


Hose. 


Portable 

extinguishers. 


Lights for 
passages. 


Gas cocks. 


Gas lights to 
be protected. 


50 


[Theatres.] 


Foot-lights. 


Border lights. 


Shaft over 
main 

chandelier. 


Stage lights. 


Diagram of 
house. 


Fire depart¬ 
ment to have 
control of gas 
and water 
apparatus. 


When persons 
are buried in 
ruins. 


When chief of 
fire depart¬ 
ment may act. 


netting underneath. All lights in passages and corridors, 
and wherever deemed necessary by the commissioners of 
the fire department, shall be protected with proper wire 
net-work. The foot-lights in addition to the wire net¬ 
work, shall be protected by a strong wire guard not less 
than two feet distant. All border lights shall be constructed 
according to the best known methods and subject to the 
approval of the commissioners of the fire department. All 
ducts or shafts used for conducting heated air from the 
main chandelier, and from any other light or lights shall 
be constructed of metaland made double, with an air space 
between. All stage lights shall have strong metal wire 
guards or screens so constructed that any material in con¬ 
tact therewith shall be out of reach of the flames. In some 
conspicuous place on every gallery or floor the regulations 
for the protection of the public against fire or other acci¬ 
dents shall be posted, together with a diagram or plan of 
said gallery or floor, showing distinctly the exits therefrom, 
and ever} 7 exit shall have over the same, on the inside, the 
word “ EXIT ” painted in legible letters not less that eight 
inches high. 

The stand-pipes, gas-pipes, hose, foot-lights and all ap¬ 
paratus for the extinguishing of fires or guarding against 
the same, as in this section specified, shall be in charge of 
the fire department, and the commissioners are hereby 
directed to see that the arrangements in respect thereto are 
carried out and enforced. 

Hereafter upon the occurrence of a fire in any building 
in the city of Hew Tork, where persons are known to be 
buried under the ruins, the owner or agent of the building 
or land shall, when required by a notice from the chief of 
the fire department, immediately have the same removed 
so as to make an examination of the premises for the re¬ 
covery of the killed and injured, and for failure to com¬ 
mence the said work in five hours after said notice has 
been served on said owner or agent, in person or by post¬ 
ing the said notice on the premises, the said chief shall em¬ 
ploy laborers, and the comptroller is authorized to advance 


51 


the funds to go on with the work until completed, and the 
expense of the same shall be a valid claim on the owner 
of the land, and the attorney to the fire department is 
hereby authorized and directed to commence suit for the 
expense incurred. 

And hereafter upon the occurrence of a fire in any 
building in the city of New York, when it is found by the 
superintendent of buildings that walls or portions of walls 
left standing are dangerous and unsafe, or liable to become 
dangerous or unsafe, the owner or agent of the building or 
land shall, when required by notice from the superintend¬ 
ent in writing, immediately have the same removed, and 
for failure to commence the said work within five hours 
after said notice has been served upon said owner or agent 
in person or by posting the said notice on the premises, 
the superintendent of buildings shall employ laborers and 
the comptroller is authorized to advance the funds to go on 
with the work until completed, and the expense of same 
shall be a valid claim on the owner of the land, and the 
attorney to the fire department is hereby authorized and 
directed to commence suit for the expense incurred. 


Nothing in this title contained shall be so construed as 
to prohibit the building of frame buildings with shingle 
roofs and eight inch brick foundation walls under the same, 
in the twelfth, twenty-third and twenty-fourth wards north 
of One Hundred and Forty-ninth street.f Buildings of 
brick not exceeding two stories in height above the base¬ 
ment may also be erected in said district, having basement 
walls twelve inches in thickness and walls above the base¬ 
ment eight inches in thickness constructed of hard brick 
and good mortar.* 


§ 501. The drainage and plumbing of all buildings, both 
public and private, hereafter erected in the city of New 
York shall be executed in accordance with plans previously 
approved in writing by the board of health. Suitable 


Expense to be 
paid by owner 
of laud. 


Dangerous 
walls after 
fire. 


When sup’t of 
buildings may 
act. 


Expense to be 
paid by 
owner. 


Frame 

buildings. 


Plumbing, 

drainage. 

Board of 
health. 


f See the first paragraph of § 495, on page. 36. 
* See the first paragraph of § 476, on page. 5. 




52 


drawings and descriptions of the said plumbing and drain¬ 
age shall in each case be submitted and placed on file in the 
health department. The said board of health is also 
authorized to receive and place on file drawings and de¬ 
scriptions of the plumbing and drainage of buildings erect¬ 
ed prior to the passage of this act. Any person violating 
any provision of this section shall be deemed guilty of a 
misdemeanor. 


[§ 502. Repealed.] 


§ 30. Section five hundred and three of said act is here¬ 
by amended so as to read as follows : 


Plans and 
statements to 
be submitted. 


Sworn 

statement. 


Giving full 
name and 
residence of 
owner. 


§ 503. Before the erection, construction or alteration of 
any building or part of any building in the city of New 
York is commenced, the owner or his agent or architect 
shall submit to the superintendent of buildings a detailed 
statement in writing of the specifications, and a full and 
complete copy of the plans of such proposed work, which 
shall be accompanied with a statement in writing, sworn 
to before a notary public or commissioner of deeds, giving 
the full name and residence (street and number) of the 
owner, or of each of the owners of said building, or 
proposed building. If such erection, construction or 
alteration is proposed to be made by any other person 
than the owner or owners of the land in fee, the person 
or persons intending to make such erection or alteration 
shall accompany said detailed statement of the specifications 
and plans with a statement in writing, sworn to as aforesaid, 
giving the full name and residence (street and number) of 
the owner or owners of the land, and also of every person 
interested in said building, or proposed building, either as 
owner, lessee or in any representative capacity. Such state¬ 
ment may be made by the agent or architect of the person 
or persons hereinbefore required to make the same. Said 
sworn statement, or detailed statement and copv of the 
plans and specifications shall be kept on file in the office of 
the said superintendent of buildings, and the erection, con¬ 
struction or alteration of said building, or any part thereof, 


53 


shall not be commenced or proceeded with until said state¬ 
ment shall have been so tiled and said specifications and 
plans have been approved by said superintendent of build¬ 
ings. But the superintendent may, in his discretion, and 
for reasons to be stated in writing by the applicant, and 
tiled with the plans and specifications, dispense with the 
making of said statement in any case. 

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent 
the superintendent of buildings from granting his approval 
for the erection of any part of the work on a building 
where plans and specifications have been presented 
for the same before the entire plans and specifications of 
said building have been submitted for his approval. 

Any false swearing in a material point in any state¬ 
ment submitted in pursuance of the provisions of this sec¬ 
tion shall be deemed perjury, and shall be punished as 
such. 

Ordinary repairs may be done without a permit, but 
such repairs shall not be construed to mean the cutting 
away of any stone or brick wall or beams or any supports. 

§ 31. Section five hundred and four of said act is here¬ 
by amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 504. The superintendent of buildings shall have full 
power (except as herein otherwise provided for) in passing 
upon any question relative to the mode, manner of con¬ 
struction, or materials to be used in the erection or altera¬ 
tion of any building or other structure provided for in this 
title, in any part of the city of New York, to make the 
same to conform to the true intent and meaning of the 
several provisions hereof. 

He shall also have power to vary or modify the provi¬ 
sions of this title, upon application therefor in writing, only 
in cases of alteration of old buildings, or the use of party 
walls belonging to different owners, where the same can¬ 
not be taken down, and where there are practical difficul¬ 
ties in the way of carrying out the strict letter of this law, 
so that the spirit of the law is observed, the public safety 
secured, and substantial justice done; but no such devia- 


Stateraent 
may be dis¬ 
pensed with. 


Approval for 
a portion of 
the plans. 


False 

swearing. 


Ordinary 

repairs. 


Sup’t to pass 
upon con¬ 
struction and 
materials. 


Sup’t has 
power to 
modify law in 
alteration 
cases. 


54 


No deviation 
without a 
certificate. 

Certificate not 
to be issued 
without 
approval of 
board of 
examiners. 

Board of ex¬ 
aminers, how 
constituted. 


Examiners to 
take oath of 
office. 


Where the law 
does not 
comply. 


Petition may 
be made to 
board. 


Powers of 
board. 


When board 
shall meet. 


tion shall be permitted except a record of the same shall be 
kept by the said superintendent of buildings, and a certi¬ 
ficate be first issued to the party applying for the same; 
such certificate shall not be issued until a board of examin¬ 
ers consisting of a member of the New York chapter of the 
American Institute of Architects, one member of the New 
York Board of Underwriters, two members of the Mechan¬ 
ics and Traders’ Exchange of said city, one member of the 
Society of Architectural Iron Manufacturers of said city, 
and one member of the Real Estate Owners and Builders’ 
Association of said city, who shall be an architect or builder, 
all of whom shall be appointed by their respective organi¬ 
zations (and so certified to annually to said superintendent 
of buildings) shall also approve the proposed modifications 
of the law. 

The said examiners shall each take the usual oath of 
office before entering upon the performance of their duties. 
The superintendent shall be ex-officio a member of said 
board and be chairman thereof. No vote of concurrence 
shall be passed by said board unless the same shall receive 
four affirmative votes. 

In cases in which it is claimed by an owner, in person 
or by his representative, that the provisions of this title do 
not directly apply, or that an equally good and more desir¬ 
able form of construction can be employed in any specific 
case than that required by this title, then such person shall 
have the right to present a petition to the board of exami¬ 
ners, and may appear before said board and be heard ; and 
said board shall consider such petition in its regular order 
of business, and as soon as practicable render a decision 
thereon. The said board of examiners are hereby author¬ 
ized and empowered to grant or reject such petition, and 
their decision shall be final. If such decision is favorable 
to said petitioner a certificate shall be issued by the super¬ 
intendent of buildings in accordance therewith. 

No member of said board shall pass upon any question 
in which he is pecuniarily interested. The said board 
shall meet once in each week upon notice from the super¬ 
intendent of buildings. The chief clerk in the office of the 


superintendent of buildings shall be clerk of said board, 
and shall keep a record of its proceedings, which shall be 
kept in the office of the superintendent of buildings. The 
members of said board, excepting the superintendent, shall 
each be entitled to and shall receive ten dollars for each at¬ 
tendance of a meeting of said board, to be paid by the comp¬ 
troller from the contingent fund upon the voucher of the 
superintendent of buildings, certified to by the board of 
fire commissioners. 

No permit for the erection of any building on the 
wharves, piers or bulk heads shall be granted unless the 
same be also approved by the board of examiners. 

§ 32. Section five hundred and five of said act is hereby 
amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 505. The owner or owners of any structure, staging, 
building or part thereof of any kind whatever, upon which 
any violation of this title may be placed or shall exist, 
whether he or they be the owner or owners of the land in 
fee or not, or be the lessee or lessees thereof, or has or have 
a qualified or contingent interest therein, by virtue of 
some agreement or contract in writing, or in any other 
•manner, and any master architect or architects, builders, 
carpenters or masons, who may be employed or assist there¬ 
in, and any and all persons who shall violate any of the 
provisions of this title, or fail to comply therewith, or any 
requirements thereof, or shall in any manner be liable 
therefor, shall severallv, for each and everv such violation 
and non-compliance, respectively, forfeit and pay a penalty 
in the sum of fifty dollars, and any and all persons who 
shall violate any of the provisions of this title, or who may 
be employed or assist therein, or who shall be liable there¬ 
for, shall severally for every such violation not removed or 
requirements not complied with within ten days after no¬ 
tice thereof shall be given to him or them, respectively, 
forfeit and pay an additional penalty in the sum of fifty 
dollars, for the recovery of which said penalties, or either 
of them, an action may be brought in any court of compe¬ 
tent jurisdiction, and whenever any judgment shall be 


Pay of 
examiners. 


Permits for 
pier sheds. 


Penalties for 
violations. 


Persons 

included. 


Penalties for 
violations. 


56 


Fines, etc., 
may be 
remitted. 


Jurisdiction of 
courts. 


Judgment 
becomes a lien 
upon prem¬ 
ises. 


/ 


rendered therefor, the same shall be collected and enforced 
as prescribed and directed by the Code of Civil Procedure 
of the State of New York. 

The fire department is hereby authorized in its discre¬ 
tion, good and sufficient cause being shown therefor, to re¬ 
mit any fine or fines, penalty or penalties, which any per¬ 
son or persons may have incurred, or may hereafter incur, 
under any of the provisions of this title; but no fine or 
penalty shall be remitted for any such violation until the 
violation shall have been removed. 

§ 33. Section five hundred and six of said act is hereby 
amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 506. All courts of civil jurisdiction in the city of 
New York shall have cognizance of and jurisdiction over 
all suits and proceedings by this title authorized to be 
brought for the recovery of any penalty and the enforce¬ 
ment of any of the several provisions of this title, and shall 
give preference to such suits and proceedings over all 
others, and any court of record in said city, or any judge 
or justice thereof shall have power at any time after the 
service of notice of the violation of any of the provisions 
of this title, and upon the affidavit of the (inspector, orj 
superintendent of buildings, to restrain, by injunction 
order, the further progress of any violation named in this 
title, and no undertaking shall be required as a condition to 
the granting or issuing of such injunction, or by reason 
thereof ; and all courts in which any such suit, suits or 
proceedings are instituted shall, upon the rendition of a 
verdict, report of a referee or decision of a judge or justice, 
for any penalty or penalties, render judgment for the 
amount of such penalty or penalties and costs; and the 
said judgment, so rendered, shall be and become a lien 
upon the premises named in the complaint in any such 
action, to date from the time of the filing in the county 
clerk’s office in the city of New York, of a notice of lis 
pendens therein; which lien may be enforced against said 
property in every respect; notwithstanding the same may 
be transferred subsequent to the filing the said notice. 


57 


In no case shall the said fire department, or any officer 
thereof, or the corporation of the city of New York, be 
liable for costs in any action, suit, or proceeding that may 
have been or may hereafter be instituted or commenced 
by said department in pursuance of this title. 

§ 34. Section five hundred and seven of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 507. All notices of the violation of any of the pro¬ 
visions of this title, and all notices directing anything to be 
done, required by this title, and all other notices that may 
be required or authorized to be issued thereunder, including 
notice that any building, structure, premises, or any part 
thereof, are deemed unsafe or dangerous, shall be issued in 
the name of the fire department of the city of New York, and 
shall have the name of the superintendent of buildings affixed 
thereto, and may be served by any officer or employee of 
the said department, or by any person authorized by the 
said department ; all such notices and any notice or order 
issued by any court in* any proceeding instituted by the 
attorney to said department to restrain or remove any 
violation, or to enforce compliance with any provision or 
requirement of this title, may be served by leaving a copy 
of the same, with any person or persons violating, or who 
may be liable under any of the several provisions of this 
title, or to whom the same may be addressed, and if such 
person or persons cannot be found after diligent search 
shall have been made for him or them, then such notice or 
order may be served by posting the same in a conspicuous 
place upon the premises where such violation is alleged to 
have been placed or to exist, or to which such notice or order 
may refer, or which may be deemed unsafe or dangerous, 
which shall be equivalent to a personal service of said 
notice upon all parties having any interest in said premises 
or to whom such notice or order may be addressed, or who 
may be liable for any violation under any of the provisions 
of this title ; and such notice or order shall contain a des¬ 
cription of the building, j^remises or property upon which 
such violation shall have been put or may exist, or which 


No liability 
for costs, by 
fire dep’t, or 
officers there¬ 
of, or city. 


Notice of 
violation, how 
served. 


Notice may be 
posted. 


58 


Continued 
violations 
after notice a 
misdemeanor. 


Unsafe 

buildings. 


Notice of 
requirement. 


may be deemed unsafe or dangerous, or to which such 
notice or order may refer. 

§ 508. Any and all persons who, after having been 
personally served with a notice of violation as hereinbefore 
prescribed, shall fail to comply therewith, and shall continue 
to violate any of the several provisions of this title, or who 
shall be accessory thereto, shall, in addition to the other 
penalty or penalties in this title provided, be deemed guilty 
of a misdemeanor, and upon a complaint being made by 
the inspector of buildings, before any police justice or any 
court of criminal jurisdiction within the city of New York, 
shall be arrested and held to bail by said justice or said 
court, and, upon conviction of said offense, shall be fined 
in a sum not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars, or 
may be imprisoned for a term not to exceed six months; 
said fine or imprisonment to be imposed in the discretion of 
the judge, justice, or court, by whom said person so arrested 
and held to bail shall be tried ; and said criminal courts, 
and the judges thereof, respectively, are hereby authorized 
to act and do as aforesaid. 

§ 35. Section five hundred and nine of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 509. Any building or buildings, part or parts of a 
building, staging or other structure in the city of New 
York, that from any cause may now be, or shall at any 
time hereafter become dangerous or unsafe, may be taken 
down and removed, or made safe and secure in the manner 
following. Immediately upon such unsafe or dangerous 
building or buildings, or part or parts of a building, 
staging or structure being so reported by any of the officers 
of said fire department, the same shall be immediately 
entered upon a docket of unsafe buildings, to be kept by 
said superintendent, and the owner, or some one of the 
owners, executors, administrators, agents, lessees, or any other 
person or persons who may have a vested or a contingent 
interest in the same may be served with a printed or written 
notice containing a description of the premises or structure 


deemed unsafe or dangerous, requiring the same to be made 
safe and secure, or removed as the same may be deemed 
necessary by the said department, which said notice shall 
require the person or persons thus served to immediately 
certify to the superintendent of the said department, his or 
their assent or refusal to secure or remove the same. 

§ 36. Section five hundred and ten of said act is hereby 
amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 510. If the person or persons so served with notice shall 
immediately certify his or their assent to the securing or re¬ 
moval of said unsafe or dangerous building, premises, or struc¬ 
ture, he or they shall be allowed until one o’clock p.m., of the 
day following the service of such notice, in which to com¬ 
mence the securing or removal of the same ; and he or they 
shall employ sufficient labor and assistance to secure or 
remove the same as expeditiously as the same can be done; 
but upon his or their refusal or neglect to comply with any 
of the requirements of said notice so served, then a further 
notice shall be served upon the person or persons heretofore 
named, and in the manner heretofore prescribed, notifying 
him or them that a survey of the premises named in the 
said notice will be made at the time and place therein 
named, which time may not be less than twenty-four hours 
nor more than three days from the time of the service of 
the said notice, by three competent persons, each of whom 
shall be a practical builder or architect, and one of whom 
shall be the superintendent of buildings, or an inspector 
duly authorized by him, another of whom shall be an 
architect, appointed by the New York chapter of the 
American Institute of Architects of said city, another of 
whom shall be appointed by the person or persons thus 
notified, upon whose neglect or refusal to appoint such 
surveyor, however, the said other two surveyors may make 
such survey ; and in case of a disagreement shall appoint 
a third person to take part in such survey, who shall also 
be a practical builder or architect, and the decision of the 
said surveyors shall be final; and that in case the said pre¬ 
mises shall be reported unsafe or dangerous under such 


Time allowed 
to make 
premises safe. 


Survey. 


Surveyors, 
how ap¬ 
pointed. 


In case of 
disagreement. 


60 


Issue. 

Posting of 
notice. 


Pay of archi¬ 
tect on survey. 


Report of 
surveyors. 


survey, the said report will be placed before a court therein 
named having jurisdiction to the extent of one thousand 
dollars, and that a trial upon the allegations and statements 
contained in said report, be the report of the said surveyors 
more or less than is contained in the notice mentioned in 
section five hundred and nine, will be had before said court, 
at a time and place therein named, to determine whether 
said unsafe or dangerous building or premises shall be 
repaired or secured or taken down and removed, and a report 
of such survey, reduced to writing, shall constitute the issue 
to be placed before the court for trial. 

A copy of said report of survey shall be posted on the 
building by the persons holding the survey, immediately 
on their signing the same. The architect appointed by the 
New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects 
who may act on any survey called in accordance with the 
provisions of this title, shall be entitled to and receive the 
sum of twenty-five dollars, to be paid on vouchers in the 
same manner as the fees of the board of examiners are now 
paid, as in this title specified, and the amount shall be 
collected by the attorney to the department from the owner 
of the building or structure, as part of expenses incurred, 
and as provided in section five hundred and eight of this 
act.* 


§ 37. Section five hundred and eleven of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 511. Whenever the report of any such survey, had as 
aforesaid, shall recite that the building, premises or struc¬ 
ture thus surveyed are unsafe or dangerous, the attorney 
of the fire department in the city of New York shall, at 
the time in the said notice named, place said notice and 
report before the judge or justice holding the chambers of 
the court in the said notice named, which said judge or 
justice shall immediately proceed to obtain and impanel a 


* This reference to “ section five hundred and eight of this Act ,y 
was a clerical error in drafting the law. The reference should have 
been to ‘ k section five hundred and twelve of this title.” 




01 


jury and to the trial of said issue "before said jury, whose 
verdict shall be conclusive and final, and shall trv said 
issue without adjournment, except as may be necessary 
from day to day,giving precedence to the trial cf this issue 
over every other business, and said judge or justice shall 
have power to impanel a jury, for that purpose, from any 
jurors in attendance upon said court, or in case sufficient 
jurors shall not be in attendance, then from any jurors that 
may be summoned for that purpose; and said judge or 
justice shall have power to summon jurors for that pur¬ 
pose ; and any such suit or proceeding commenced before 
a judge or justice may be continued before another judge 
or justice of the same court; a jury trial may be waived 
by the default of the defendant or defendants to appear at 
the time and place named in the said notice, or by agree¬ 
ment, and in such case the trial may be by court, judge, 
justice or referee, whose report or decision in the matter 
shall be final ; and upon the rendition of a verdict or 
decision of the court, judge, justice or referee, if the said 
verdict Dr decision shall find the said building, premises or 
structure to be unsafe or dangerous, the judge or justice 
trying said cause, or to whom the report of the referee 
trying said cause shall be presented, shall immediately issue 
a precept out of said court, directed to the superintendent 
of the bureau of inspection of buildings, reciting said 
verdict or decision, and commanding him forthwith to 
repair and secure or take down and remove, as the case 
may be, in accordance with said verdict or decision, said 
unsafe or dangerous building, buildings, part or parts 
thereof, staging, structure or other premises that shall have 
been named in the said report; end said fire department 
shall immediately thereupon proceed to execute said 
precept as therein directed, and may employ such labor 
and assistance and furnish such materials as may be 
necessary for that purpose, and after having done so, said 
fire department shall make return of said precept, with an 
indorsement of its action thereunder, and the costs and 
expenses thereby incurred, to the judge or justice then 
holding the chambers of the said court, and thereupon said 


Trial of issue 


Jurors. 


Verdict. 


Precept. 


Execution of 
precept. 


62 


Costs. 


Judgment. 


Lis pendens. 


Sale of 
premises. 


Requisition 
upon comp¬ 
troller. 


If issue is not 
tried at time 
named. 


\ 


judge or justice shall tax and adjust the amount indorsed 
upon said precept., and shall adjust and allow disbursements 
and costs of said proceeding at and after the rate provided 
in the Code of Civil Procedure in that class ot actions where 
judgment on failure to answer can only be taken on applica¬ 
tion to the court, together with the preliminary expenses of 
searches and surveys, which shall be inserted in the judg¬ 
ment in said action or proceeding, and shall render judg¬ 
ment for such amount, and for the sale of the said premises 
in the said notice named, together with all the right, title 
and interest that the person or persons, or either ot them, 
named in the said notice had in the lot, ground or land 
upon which the said building or structure was placed, at 
the time of the tiling of a notice of lis 'pendens in the said 
proceedings, or at the time of the entry ot judgment 
therein to satisfy the same, which sale shall be in the same 
manner and with like effect as sales under judgment in 
foreclosure of mortgages ; and in and about all preliminary 
proceedings, as well as the carrying into effect any order of 
the court or any precept issued by any court, said board of 
fire commissioners may make requisition upon the comp¬ 
troller of the city and county of New York for such 
amount or amounts of money as shall be necessary to meet 
the expenses thereof; and upon the same being approved 
by any judge or justice of the court from which the said 
order or precept was issued and presented to said comp¬ 
troller, he shall pay the same, and for that purpose shall 
borrow and raise, upon a revenue bond, to be issued in the 
name of the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the said 
city, the several amounts that may from time to time be 
required, which shall be reimbursed by the payment of the 
amount and interest at six per cent, out of the judgment or 
judgments obtained as aforesaid, if the same shall be col¬ 
lected. In case said issue shall not be tried at the time 
specified in said notice, or to which the trial may be ad¬ 
journed, the same may be brought to trial at any time 
thereafter by said fire department, without a new survey, 
upon not less than three days’ notice of trial to the 
person or persons upon whom the original notice was 


63 


served, or to liis or their attorney, which notice of trial 
may be served in the same manner as said original no¬ 
tice. 


§ 38. Section five hundred and twelve of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 512. Provided, nevertheless, that immediately upon 0wner 
the issuing of said precept, the owner or owners of said allowed to ex- 

i .ij. . , . ^ , j ecute precept, 

building or premises, or any party interested therein, 
upon application to said superintendent of buildings, 
shall be allowed to perform the requirements of said 
precept at his or their own proper* cost and expense, 
provided the same shall be done immediately and in ac¬ 
cordance with the requirements of said precept, upon 
the payment of all costs and expenses incurred up to 
that time. 

§ 513. In case any notice or direction authorized to be ? r0 ^g din ^ e 
issued by this title is not complied with within ten days i S not com- 
after the service thereof, the fire department of the city plied with, 
of New York ma} T , in its discretion, apply to the supreme 
court for the city and county of New York, at a special 
term thereof, at chambers, for an order directing the fire 
department to proceed to make the alterations, or remove 
the violation or violations, as the same may be specified 
in said notice or direction. Whenever any notice requir¬ 
ing fire-escapes, alarms, or doors to be placed in or upon 
any building shall have been served as directed in this 
title, and the same shall not have been complied with 
within ten days after service thereof, the fire department 
of the city of New York may, in its discretion, apply 
to the supreme court of the city and county of New 
York, at a special term at chambers, for an order di¬ 
recting the fire department to vacate such building, or 
premises, or so much thereof as said department may 
deem necessary, and prohibiting the same to be used or 
occupied for any purpose specified in said order, until 
such notice shall have been complied with. The sum of 
twenty-five dollars shall be allowed as costs to the at- Costs. 


64 


torney of said department, under and by virtue of the 
said applications and proceedings, or of either of them, 
which said amount, with all costs, expenses, and disburse¬ 
ments incurred in the carrying out of any said order or 
orders, shall become a lien upon said building or prem¬ 
ises named in the said notice, from the time of filing of 
a copy of the said notice, with a notice of the proceed¬ 
ings taken thereunder, in the office of the clerk of the 

^ city and county of New York; and the said supreme 

Enforcement J J ’ .. . 

of lien. court, or a judge or justice thereot, to whom application 

shall be made, is hereby authorized and directed to grant 
any of the orders above named, and to take such pro¬ 
ceedings as shall be necessary to make the same effect¬ 
ual. and any said judge or justice to whom application 
shall be made is hereby authorized and directed to en¬ 
force such lien in accordance with the mechanics’ lien 
law of the city of New York; and in case either of the 
notices hereinbefore mentioned shall be served upon any 
lessee or party in possession of the building or premises 
therein described, it shall be the duty of the person 
upon whom such service is made to give immediate 
notice to the owner or agent of said building named in 
the notice, if the same shall be known to the said person 
personally, if such person shall be within the limits of 
the city of New York, and his residence known to such 
person, and if not within said city, then by depositing a 
copy of said notice in the New York post-office, properly 
inclosed, and addressed to such owner or agent, at his 
then place of residence, if known, and by paying the 
postage thereon ; and in case any lessee or party in posses, 
sion shall neglect or refuse to give such notice as herein 
provided, he shall be personally liable to the owner or 
owners of said building or premises for all damages he or 
they shall sustain by reason thereof. 


Fire dep’t to 
enforce this 
building law. 


§ 39. Section five hundred and fourteen of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows : 

§ 514. The fire department of the city of New York 
shall be and is hereby charged with the enforcement of 


65 


the provisions of this title, through the bureau of inspec¬ 
tion of buildings, and shall appoint all the officers thereof, 
viz.: A superintendent, inspectors of buildings, clerks and 
messengers and assistants. 

The chief officer of said bureau shall be called the 

superintendent of buildings, and shall be a competent 

architect or builder of at least ten years’ practice. 

* 

The inspectors shall be competent men, either archi¬ 
tects, masons, carpenters or iron-workers, of good charac¬ 
ter, capable of writing a fair hand, and be able to make out 
with clearness their reports, and no person shall serve as or 
be appointed to office as an inspector in said bureau who is 
deficient in these qualifications, and before their appoint¬ 
ment to office they shall pass an examination before the 
board of examiners, named in this title, who shall sign a 
certificate as to their competency to perform all the duties 
of said office. 

It shall not be lawful for any officer or employee in 
said bureau to be engaged in or interested in any contract 
or contracts for building or for furnishing materials for 
building. 

The superintendent of buildings shall be authorized to 
designate from time to time any of the inspectors to act on 
any survey authorized by this title, and authorize any of 
said inspectors to act as superintendent in cases of the ab¬ 
sence of the superintendent through sickness or otherwise, 
under written instructions from said superintendent, which 
instructions shall be filed in the office with the chief clerk. 

§ 40. Section five hundred and fifteen of said act is 
hereby amended so as to read as follows: 

§ 515. The attorney to the said fire department shall 
be authorized to sue for and collect all penalties, and take 
charge of and conduct all legal proceedings imposed or 
provided for by this title (except those arising under sec¬ 
tion five hundred and one of this act); and all suits or pro¬ 
ceedings instituted for the enforcement of any of the sev¬ 
eral provisions of the preceding sections of this title, or for 
the recovery of any penalty thereunder (except as above 
5 


Superintend¬ 

ent. 


Inspectors. 


Qualifications 
of inspectors. 


Officers 
prohibited 
from carrying 
on any other 
business. 

Superintend¬ 
ent may 
designate 
inspectors to 
act, etc. 


Attorney of 
fire dep’t to 
conduct legal 
proceedings. 


66 


Suits to be 
brought in the 
name of fire 
dep’t. 


Attorney to 
render month¬ 
ly accounts. 


Monthly pay¬ 
ments to 
comptroller. 


Right of 
officers to en¬ 
ter buildings. 


Officers to 
wear badges. 


Dismissal of 
inspectors. 




provided), shall be brought in the name of the fire depart¬ 
ment by the said attorney, to whom all notices of violation 
shall be returned for prosecution, and it shall be his duty 
to take charge of the prosecution of all such suits or pro¬ 
ceedings, collect and receive all moneys that may be col¬ 
lected upon judgments, suits or proceedings so instituted, 
or which may be paid by any parties who have violated 
any of the provisions of this title, and upon settlement of 
judgment and removal of violations thereunder, execute 
satisfaction therefor, and shall, on the first day of each and 
every month, render to the fire commissioners and superin¬ 
tendent of buildings an account of and pay over to said 
fire commissioners all penalties and all other money, includ¬ 
ing costs received by him, together with his bill, for all 
necessary disbursements incurred or paid in said suit, and 
said fire commissioners shall pay over monthly the amount 
of such penalties and costs so collected to the comptroller 
of the city of New York, as a fund for the use and bene¬ 
fits of the said department, for the purpose of carrying 
into effect any order or precept issued by any court, or 
judge or justice thereof, in this title named, to the said de¬ 
partment upon the requisition of said board, such sum or 
sums as may be allowed and adjusted by the said court, or 
a judge or justice thereof, for such purpose as far as the 
same may be in its hands. 

All the officers appointed under this title shall, so far 
as may be necessary for the performance of their respec¬ 
tive duties, have the right to enter, during business hours, 
any business building, or any building in process of con¬ 
struction, in said city. All such officers shall wear a suit¬ 
able badge of office and show the same when exercising 
any of the powers upon them herein conferred. 

The board of fire commissioners may at any time con¬ 
fer upon the superintendent of buildings power to dismiss 
any of the inspectors who may neglect his duty, or who 
may be found unfit from any cause to discharge the duties 
of the office. 


Duties of 
employees. 


§ 516. The attorney of said fire department and the 
officers, clerks, and messengers of the said bureau of in- 


6T 


spection of buildings shall perform such duties as they and 
each oi them may be directed to do and perform by the 
board of fire commissioners. All the officers appointed 
under this title shall, so far as it may be necessary for the 
performance of their respective duties, have the right to 
enter any building or premises in said city. 

§ 517. It shall be the duty of the fire department to 
report, on the first day of each month, to the New York 
board of fire underwriters of said city, all unsafe or dan¬ 
gerous buildings, and any information that he may deem 
important to said board. 

§ 41. This act is hereby declared to be a public act, and 
all courts and tribunals, or any judge or justice thereof, shall 
take cognizance thereof, and give force and effect to the 
purposes and the objects sought to be promoted. 

§ 42. Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect 
any right existing or accrued or liability incurred by rea¬ 
son of an} 7 violation of any acts heretofore existing, or any 
suit or proceeding already instituted under said acts, ex¬ 
cept as to the manner of conducting or enforcing the same, 
and all right of action given or secured by said acts shall 
be prosecuted. Nor to repeal, limit or modify the powers 
and duties of the health department of the city of New 
Y r ork in respect to plumbing, drainage, light and ventila¬ 
tion of buildings in said city. 

§ 43. Sections four hundred and seventy-eight, and five 
hundred and two of said act are hereby repealed.* 

§ 44. This act shall take effect immediately. 


* Sections 501, 508, 513, 516, and 517 were thus left unrepealed, 
and are part of the present law now in force; these sections are 
given in their proper place in this publication. 


Right of offi¬ 
cers to enter 
buildings, etc. 


Report to fire 
underwriters. 


Public act. 


Not to affect 
past rights or 
liabilities. 


Not to inter¬ 
fere with 
health dep’t. 


Repealing 
certain former 
sections. 






LAW LIMITING THE HEIGHT OF 
DWELLING-HOUSES. 


CHAPTER 454. 

An Act to regulate the height of dwelling-houses in the 

city of Hew York. 

Passed June 9, 1885; three-fifths being present. 

The People of the State of New York , represented in 
Senate and Assembly , do enact as follows: 

Section 1 . The height of all dwelling-houses and of all 
houses used or intended to be used as dwellings for more 
than one family, and hereafter to be erected in the city of 
New York, shall be regulated in proportion to the width 
of the streets and avenues upon which they front. 

§ 2. Such height, measured from the sidewalk line and 
taken in all cases through the center of the facade of the 
house to be erected, including attics, cornices and mansards, 
shall not exceed seventy feet upon all streets and avenues 
not exceeding sixty feet in width, and eighty feet upon all 
streets and avenues exceeding sixty feet in width. 

Nothing in this act shall be construed as affecting build¬ 
ings for which contracts have been signed prior to the 
passage of this act, or for which plans have been tiled and 
approved by the building department. 


Height of 
house regula¬ 
ted by width 
of street. 


Point where 
to compute 
height. 


Not to apply 
where con¬ 
tracts were 
signed or 
plans filed. 


3. This act shall take effect immediately. 




TO 


It will be observed in this law which attempts to limit the 
heights of dwellings, and which would apply to hotels, apartment 
houses, etc.— 

1. That it stands by itself, independent of the “Building Law/ 7 

and of the Consolidated Laws relating to New York city. 

2. That no penalty is provided for any violation of it, nor is any 

made for its e^^cement; and certainly not by 
the fire department. 

3. It would seem possible to evade its terms easily, in a variety 

of ways. 

4. The “ Building Law,” chapter 456, of the laws of 1885, was 

passed subsequent to this law regulating the heights o* 
dwellings, which is chapter 454, of the laws of 1885. It is 
a well established principle of law that if the provisions of 
a later statute are in conflict with one passed earlier, the law 
first passed is repealed. In view of the provisions of § 476 
of the “Building Law” [Section 6, of the new law of 1885] 
which expressly provides for w r alls of dwelling-houses not 
only of seventy to eighty-five feet, but for eighty-five to one 
hundred feet, and of one hundred to one hundred and fifteen 
feet, and of over one hundred and fifteen feet in height; and 
in view of the want of a penalty and of provisions for en¬ 
forcement in this law limiting height; and also in view of 
the question of the constitutionality of the latter (opinion as 
to legal questions obtained from Mr. Geo. W. Van Siclen) 
men having always owned land “ usque ad coelum ,” it is a 
grave question whether this law, chapter 454, limiting 
heights, can be enforced or whether it is even now in exist¬ 
ence. But until these serious doubts are removed, either by 
the courts, or by a repealing act of the Legislature, as they 
probably soon will be, those who contemplate erecting tall 
apartment houses, exceeding seventy or eighty feet in height, 
would do wisely to build to the full thicknesses of walls, and 
other requirements of the “ Building Law,” so that the 
structure can afterwards be legally carried up to the origi¬ 
nal contemplated height. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGB 

No. 1—Walls for dwellings not exceeding 30 ft. high.7 

No. 2—Wails for dwellings over 30 ft. and under 60 ft. high. 7 

No. 3—Walls for dwellings over 60 ft. and under 70 ft. high. 7 

No 4—Walls for dwellings over 70 ft. and under 85 ft. high. 8 

No. 5—Walls for dwellings over 85 ft. and under 100 ft. high. 8 

No. 6—Walls for dwellings over 100 ft. and under 115 ft. high... 8 

No. 7—Walls for dwellings exceeding 115 ft. high. 9 

No. 8—Walls for warehouses, etc., not exceeding 40 ft. high.... .. 10 
No. 9—Walls for warehouses, etc., over 40 ft. and under 60 ft. 

high. 10 

No. 10—Walls for warehouses, etc., over 60 ft. and under 70 ft. 

high.10 

No. 11—Walls for warehouses, etc., over 70 ft. and under 85 ft. 

high.11 

No. 12—Walls for warehouses, etc., over 85 ft. and under 100 ft. . 

high.11 

No. 13—WaTs for warehouses, etc., over 100 ft. and under 115 ft. 

high.11 

No. 14—Walls for warehouses, etc., exceeding 115 ft. high.12 

Theatre, plan of, applied to an inside lot.41 

Theatre, plan of, applied to a corner lot.41 





















INDEX 


I.—LAW RELATING TO BUILDINGS. 


. Action against owner, .... 
Adjoining wall, protect, 

SECTION 

474 

PAGE 

3 

474 

3 

Air flues, ..... 

488 

27 

Alcoves in walls, recesses for, . 

482 

19 

Altered buildings to conform to law, . 

471 

1 

Anchors for ashler, .... 

488 

20 

Anchors for beams, .... 

483 

20 

Anchors for piers. .... 

488 

20 

Anchor strips, ..... 

483 

21 

Anchors, wall, ..... 

483 

20 

Apartment houses, halls and stairs of certain, . 

492 

34 

Arch girders, . . . . 

485 

22 

Arches between iron beams, 

492 

33 

Arches, centres for, .... 

486 

24 

Arches, fire-place, .... 

4§6 

24 

Arches, inverted, .... 

475 

4 

Arches of iron fronts, .... 

485 

23 

Arches over openings, . 

486 

24 

Arches to be grouted, .... 

492 

34 

Architect, pay of, on survey, 

510 

60 

Area coverings, ..... 

481 

18 

Ashler anchors. ..... 

483 

20 

Ashler, stone, backing for, 

480 

17 

Ashler, stone, thickness lor, 

483 

20 

Attorney, inspectors, superintendent, . 

514 

65 

Attorney, render monthly accounts, 

515 

66 

Attorney to conduct legal proceedings, 

515 

65 

Backing for stone ashler, 

Balconies, wooden, .... 

480 

17 

495 

36 

Base course of foundations, 

475 

4 

Bay windows, ..... 

4''5 

36 

Beam anchors, ..... 

483 

20 

Beams, headers and trimmers, . 

490 

30 

Beams, iron, bearing weight to be marked on, 

491 

32 

Beams, iron, to be inspected, 

491 

32 

Beams, pipes let in, 

489 

29 

Beams, thickness of walls to be carried to top of. 

477 

13 

Beams, way placed, determines width of building. 

477 

16 

Beams, wooden, distance from flues, 

490 

29 

Beams, wooden, in party walls, 

490 

30 












74: 


* 


Beams, wrought iron, .... 

SECTION 

485 

PAGE 

22 

Bearing blocks or plates under girders, 

485 

22 

Bearing for iron lintels, 

485 

21 

Bearing strength for girders and piers, 

477 

14 

Bearing weight for floors, 

491 

31 

Bearing weight to be marked on iron beams, . 

. , 491 

82 

Board of examiners, .... 

504 

54 

Board of examiners, petition to, 

504 

54 

Board of health, .... 

501 

51 

Boiler flues, ..... 

490 

30 

Bond stones or plates in piers, . 

481 

17 

Borders for registers, .... 

489 

28 

Boxes, register, ..... 

488 

20 

Boxes, register, ..... 

489 

29 

Braces, ...... 

479 

10 

Brick, good hard, .... 

482 

18 

Bricks, joints of, . . . 

482 

19 

Brick to be wet, .... 

482 

19 

Brick, soft, not to be used, 

482 

18 

Bridle irons, ..... 

490 

30 

Bulkhead stairs and doors, 

494 

36 

Bulkheads and scuttles, 

494 

35 

Bulkheads, fire-proof, in certain dwellings, etc., 

492 

34 

Bulkheads on roofs, .... 

484 

21 

Buildings, exceeding 70 feet high, 

492 

33 

Buildings, frame, damaged by fire, 

497 

38 

Buildings, frame, limits, 

495 

30 

Buildings, how to determine the width of, 

477 

16 

Buildings, new and altered, to conform to law, 

471 

1 

Buildings over 125 feet deep, walls of, . 

477 

14 

Buildings, public, walls of, . . . 

477 

15 

Buildings raised or lowered, 

49G 

37 

Buildings, removing wooden, . 

496 

37 

Buildings, rights of officers to enter. 

515 

06 

Buildings, rights of officers to enter, 

510 

67 

Buildings unsafe, .... 

509 

58 

Buildings, width of, how determined, . 

477 

16 

Bureau, officers of, .... 

514 

05 

Buried in ruins, when persons are, 

500 

50 

Calculations for strength, 

491 

31 

Cap stones or plates, . . . • 

481 

17 

Caps for piers, strength of, 

481 

17 

Cast iron plates in piers, 

481 

17 

Cellar stud partitions, .... 

470 

13 

Cement mortar, when to be used, 

482 

18 

Centres for arches, .... 

480 

24 

Centre wail in narrow dwellings, 

470 

13 

Certificate for deviation, ... 

504 

54 

Certificate for elevators, 

487 

26 

Chimney breasts, how supported, 

488 

27 

Chimneys and flues, .... 

488 

26 

Chimneys, cupola, .... 

488 

27 

Chimneys, unsafe, .... 

488 

27 

Church walls, ..... 

477 

15 









75 


Coal hole coverings, 


SECTION 

481 

PAGE 

18 

Columns, bearing strength of, 


477 

14 

Columns, fire-proof, 


485 

23 

Columns, iron, drilling of, 


485 

23 

Columns, iron, for fire-proof buildings, 


492 

33 

Columns, iron, minimum thickness of, 


485 

23 

Columns, iron plates between, . 


485 

23 

Columns, requirements for piers under, 


477 

14 

Columns, strength for, . 


491 

31 

Composition of concrete, 


482 

19 

Composition of mortar, . 


482 

19 

Comptroller, monthly payments to, 


515 

66 

Comptroller, requisition upon, . 


511 

62 

Compute height of walls, point to, 

4 

477 

16 

Concrete, composition of, 


482 

19 

Construction and materials, 


504 

53 

Construction of stone walls, 


480 

16 

Construction of walls, 


472 

2 

Coping of party walls, . 


493 

34 

Cornices, roof and gutters, 


493 

34 

Cornices, unsafe wooden, 


493 

34 

Costs, ..... 


511 

62 

Costs, 


513 

63 

Courts, jurisdiction of, 


506 

56 

Coverings for areas, 


481 

18 

Coverings for coal holes, 


481 

18 

Cupola chimneys, 


488 

27 

Cutting off walls, 


479 

16 

Dangerous walls after fire, 


500 

51 

Depth of excavations, 


474 

3 

Depth of foundation w T alls, 


473 

2 

Doors and stairs to bulkhead, . 


494 

36 

Doors and windows, arches over, 


486 

24 

Doors, trap, and railings, 


487 

25 

Drainage, .... 


501 

51 

Drilling of iron columns, 


485 

23 

Dwellings, frame, not to be used for other purposes, . 

498 

38 

Dwelling house walls, thickness of, 


476 

5 

Dwelling houses, halls and stairs of certain, 


492 

34 

Dwellings, narrow, centre wall in, 


476 

13 

Dwellings, party walls in, 


476 

13 

Dwellings, to have partition walls or girders, 


476 

6 

Elevators, certificate for, 


487 

26 

Elevators, passenger, inspection of, 

• • 

487 

26 

Elevator openings, sky-lights over, 

• 

487 

25 

Elevators, repairs to, 

« . 

487 

26 

Elevators to be inclosed, 


487 

25 

Employees, duties of, 

• • 

516 

66 

Encumbrances on fire escapes, . 

• • 

499 

39 

End walls, limit for being carried up in advance, 

483 

20 

Examiners, board of, 

• • 

504 

54 

Examiners, board of, petition to, 

• • 

504 

54 








76 


Excavations to be properly guarded, 


SECTION 

473 

PAGE 

2 

Excavations, depth of, . 

, , 

474 

3 

Execution of precept, 

• 

511 

61 

Existing theatres, arrangements for, 

• 

499 

40 

Faced brick walls, 


480 

17 

Factory walls, .... 

, , 

477 

13 

Fences, wooden,.... 

, , 

495 

36 

Ferry houses, .... 

# . 

495 

36 

Filling of arches of iron fronts, 


485 

23 

Fines may be remitted, . 


505 

56 

Fire, after, dangerous walls, 


500 

51 

Fire dep’t, suits to be brought in name of, 


515 

66 

Fire dep’t to enforce this law, . 

, . 

514 

64 

Fire escape balconies, notice on, 


499 

39 

Fire escapes, encumbrances, 

• • 

499 

39 

Fire escapes, on what buildings, 

, # 

499 

39 

Fine for encumbering fire escapes, 

• • 

499 

39 

Fire place arches, 

• « 

486 

24 

Fire-proof buildings, rules for constructing, 

• • 

492 

33 

Fire-proof bulkheads in certain dwellings, etc., 

492 

34 

Fire-proof columns, 

, , 

485 

23 

Fire-proof floors, 

# , 

492 

33 

Fire-proof stairs and halls in certain dwellings, etc., . 

4 92 

34 

Fire underwriters, report to, 

# # 

517 

67 

Flat arches between iron beams, 


492 

33 

Floors, bearing weight for, 

• • 

491 

31 

Floors, fire-proof, 

, , 

492 

33 

Floors, strength of, 

# . 

490 

31 

Flues, air, .... 

# , 

488 

27 

Flues and chimneys, 

# , 

4 88 

26 

Flues, boiler, .... 


490 

30 

Flues, distance from, for wooden beams. 


490 

29 

Flues, furnace, .... 

m # 

490 

30 

Flues to be kept clean, . 

, # 

488 

27 

Flues, woodwork against, 

. # 

488 

27 

Foundation walls, depth of, 

, , 

473 

2 

Foundation walls, how built, 

# # 

475 

4 

Foundations, base course of, 

• • 

475 

4 

Foundry walls, .... 

♦ • 

477 

15 

Frame buildings, damaged by fire, 

• • 

497 

38 

Frame building limits, . 

• • 

495 

36 

Frame dwellings, not to be used for other purposes, . 

497 

38 

Front bond stones, 

# , 

481 

17 

Fronts, iron, arches of, . 


485 

23 

Frozen walls, .... 

# m 

480 

17 

Furnace flues, .... 


490 

30 

Furnace smoke pipes, 

• • 

489 

28 

Furnaces, .... 

. . 

489 

28 

Furnaces, notice to be given, 

• • 

489 

29 

Furnaces, portable, 

• 

489 

28 

Furring of wood, 

• 

488 

26 

Gas and other pipes, 


489 

29 

Gas supply pipes, 

, . 

489 

29 

Girder straps, .... 

• 

483 

20 



Girders and partition walls for stores, . 


SECTION 

477 

PAGE 

14 

Girders and piers, bearing strength of, . 


477 

14 

Girders, arched, .... 


485 

' 22 

Girders, iron bearing plates or blocks under, 


485 

22 

Girders, or partition walls, in dwellings, 


476 

6 

Girders, width of. 


485 

22 

Grouting of arches, 


492 

34 

Gutters and roof cornices, 


493 

34 

Hair, long, in plastering mortar, 


482 

19 

Halls and stairs in certain dwelling-houses, etc.. 

492 

34 

Hard brick, .... 


482 

18 

Header and trimmer beams, 


490 

34 

Headers in stone walls, . 


480 

16 

Heading courses, 


482 

18 

Health board, .... 


501 

51 

Health dep’t, rights not interfered with, 


517 

67 

Hearths, how supported, 


488 

27 

Height of walls, point to compute from, 


477 

16 

Hoistway openings, 


487 

25 

Hollow brick arches for fire-proof floors, 


492 

33 

Hollow walls, .... 


477 

15 

Imprisonment for encumbering fire escapes, 


499 

39 

Inclosure of elevators, . 


487 

25 

Intermediate posts, bearings of lintels on, 


485 

22 

Inside iron shutters, 


487 

25 

Inside lintels, .... 


486 

24 

Inspectors, superintendent, attorney, . 


514 

65 

Inspection of iron beams, 


491 

32 

Inspection of passenger elevators, *. 


487 

26 

Inspectors, dismissal of, 


515 

66 

'Inverted arches, .... 


475 

4 

Iron beams, bearing weight marked on, 


491 

32 

Iron beams to be inspected, 


491 

32 

Iron beams, wrought, 


485 

22 

Iron bearing plates under girders, 


485 

22 

Iron bridles, .... 


490 

30 

Iron, cast, plates for piers, 


481 

17 

Iron columns for fire-proof buildings, . 


492 

33 

Iron columns, drilling of, 


485 

23 

Iron columns, minimum thickness of, . 


485 

23 

Iron fronts, arches of, 


485 

23 

Iron lintels, bearings for, 


485 

21 

Iron lintels, limit of span for, . 


485 

22 

Iron plates between columns, 


485 

23 

Iron posts for party walls, 


485 

22 

Iron or stone templates, . 


492 

33 

Iron shutters, .... 


487 

24 

Iron shutters, inside, 


487 

25 

Ironwork, quality of, . . 


485 

23 

Ironwork, quality of. 


491 

32 

Isolated piers, bonds, 

• 

481 

17 

Issue, ..... 


510 

60 

Issue, trial of, 


511 

61 





78 


Joints of bricks,.... 
Judgment, .... 

Judgments, .... 

Jurors, ..... 
Jurisdiction of courts, . 

Ladders, scuttle, 

Lath and plaster, 

Lath, openings between, 

Law modified, .... 
Leaders, metalic, 

Lien, enforcement of, 

Limits, frame buildings, 

Lime mortar, when to be used, . 

Limit of span for iron lintels, 

Limit of requirements for existing theatres, 
Lintels, ..... 
Lintels, bearings on intermediate posts, 
Lintels, inside, .... 
Lintels, iron, bearings for, 

Lis pendens, .... 

Long hair in plastering mortar, 

Machine shop walls, 

Mansard roofs, how constructed. 

Materials and construction, 

Materials, calculations for strength of . 
Metalic leaders, .... 

Metal rooting, .... 
Minimum thickness of iron columns, 

Modify law, .... 

Mortar, cement, when to be used, 

Mortar, composition of, . 

Mortar, lime, when to be used, . 

Narrow dwellings, center wall, 

Neglect to protect adjoining structure, 

New buildings to conform to law, 

Notice may be posted, . 

Notice on fire escape balconies, . 

Notice, posting of, 

Notice to be given when furnaces put in, 
Notice, when not complied with, proceedings, 

Officers of bureau, . , 

Officers of department not liable for costs. 
Officers right to enter buildings, 

Officers right to enter buildings, 

Officers to wear badges, 

Openings, elevator, skylights over 
Openings for hoistways,. 

Ordinary repairs, 

Oriel windows, .... 
Owner, action against, . 


SECTION 

PAGE 

482 

19 

511 

62 

506 

56 

511 

61 

506 

56 

494 

35 

482 

19 

482 

19 

504 

53 

493 

35 

513 

64 

495 

36 

482 

18 

485 

22 

499 

49 

486 

24 

485 

22 

486 

24 

485 

21 

511 

62 

482 

19 

477 

15 

484 

21 

504 

53 

491 

31 

493 

35 

494 

35 

485 

23 

504 

53 

482 

18 

482 

19 

482 

18 

476 

13 

474 

3 

471 

1 

507 

57 

499 

39 

510 

60 

489 

29 

513 

63 

514 

67 

506 

57 

515 

66 

516 

67 

515 

66 

487 

25 

487 

25 

503 

53 

495 

36 

474 

3 






79 


Owner allowed to execute precept, 
Owner, full name, etc., to be given, 
Owner liable for expense, 


Parapet walls, ..... 
Partitions, stud, in cellar, 

Partition walls for dwellings, thickness of 
Partition walls and girders for stores, . 

Partition walls or girders in dwellings, 

Party walls, iron posts, .... 
Party walls, coped, . . . 

Party walls in dwellings, 

Party walls, iron posts for, 

Party walls, wooden beams in, . 

Passenger elevators, inspection of, 

Peak roof raised to flat, .... 
Penalties for violation, .... 
Permission to be first obtained for altering walls, 
Permits for pier sheds, .... 
Petition to Board of Examiners, 

Philadelphia face brick walls, 

Piazzas, wooden, .... 

Pier Anchors, ..... 
Pier caps, strength of, . 

Pier sheds, ..... 
Pier sheds, permit for, .... 
Piers and girders, bearing strength of, 

Piers, bonds in isolated, 

Piers under columns, requirements for, 

Piles, . . ’ . 

Pipes, furnace smoke, ‘ 

Pipes, gas and other, .... 
Pipes, gas supply, .... 
Pipes, smoke, . . . . . v 

Pipes, steam, ..... 
Planking, roof, ..... 
Plans and statement to be submitted, . 

Plans, portion of may be approved, 

Plastering mortar for scratch coat, 

Plates, cast iron, for piers, 

Plates, iron, between columns, . 

Plumbing, ..... 

Point to compute height of walls, 

Portable furnaces, .... 

Posting of notice, .... 

Posting of notice, .... 
Posts, iron, for party walls, 

Precept, ..... 

Premises, sale of, .... 

Privies, wooden, . , . • 

Protect adjoining wall, .... 
Public act, ..... 
Public buildings, walls of, 


SECTION 

PAGE 

512 

63 

503 

52 

474 

3 

484 

21 

476 

13 

476 

6 

477 

14 

476 

6 

485 

23 

493 

34 

476 

13 

485 

22 

490 

30 

487 

26 

496 

37 

505 

55 

479 

16 

504 

55 

504 

54 

480 

17 

495 

36 

483 

20 

481 

17 

495 

36 

504 

55 

477 

14 

481 

17 

477 

14 

473 

2 

489 

28 

489 

29 

489 

29 

489 

28 

488 

27 

494 

35 

503 

52 

503 

53 

482 

19 

481 

17 

485 

23 

501 

51 

477 

16 

489 

28 

507 

57 

510 

60 

485 

22 

511 

61 

511 

62 

495 

36 

474 

3 

517 

67 

477 

15 




80 


Quality of iron work, 


SECTION 

485 

PAGE 

23 

Quality of iron work, 


491 

32 

Quality of timber, 


490 

31 

Railings and trap doors, 


487 

25 

Raising or lowering buildings, . 


490 

37 

Raising peak roof to flat, 


496 

37 

Recesses for alcoves in walls, 


482 

19 

Recesses for pipes in walls, 


482 

19 

Recesses in walls, 


476 

13 

Register boxes, .... 


488 

26 

Register boxes, .... 


489 

29 

Registers, borders for, . 


489 

28 

Remitting fines, .... 


505 

56 

Removing wooden buildings, . 


496 

37 

Repairing of shingle roofs 


494 

35 

Repairs to elevators, 


487 

26 

Repairs, ordinary, 


503 

53 

Report of surveyors, 


511 

60 

Report to Fire Underwriters, 


517 

67 

Requirements for piers under columns, 

y 

477 

14 

Requirements, limit of, for existing theatres, 


499 

40 

Retaining walls, .... 


481 

18 

Rock bottom, .... 


473 

• 2 

Roof cornices and gutters, 


493 

34 

Roof planking, .... 


494 

35 

Roof, raising from peak to flat, 


496 

37 

Roofing, metal, 


494 

35 

Roofs, bulkheads on, 


484 

21 

Roofs, mansard, 


484 

21 

Roofs, shingle, repairing of, 


494 

35 

Rules for constructing fire-proof buildings, 


492 

33 

Ruins, when persons are buried in, 


500 

50 

Safe floor load for storehouses, 

• 

490 

31 

Sale of premises, 

• 

511 

62 

Samples of sand, 

• 

482 

19 

Sand, ..... 

• 

482 

19 

School-house walls, 

• 

477 

15 

Scratch coat, mortar for, 

• 

482 

19 

Scuttle ladders, 

• 

494 

35 

Scuttles and bulkheads, 

• 

494 

35 

Sectional hollow brick arches between iron beams, 

492 

33 

Segment arches between iron beams, . 

• 

492 

33 

Sheds, pier, .... 

• 

495 

36 

Sheds, pier, permit for, 

• 

504 

55 

Shingle roofs, repairing of, 

• 

494 

35 

Shutters, iron, .... 

• 

487 

24 

Side walls, limit for being carried up in advance, 

483 

20 

Side, walks, .... 

• 

481 

18 

Signs, unsafe, .... 

• 

495 

37 

Signs, wooden, 

• 

495 

36 

Sky-lights, .... 

• 

494 

36 

Sky-lights over elevator openings, 

• 

487 

25 

Smoke pipes, .... 

• 

489 

28 







81 


Smoke-pipes, furnace, .... 
Soft brick, not to be used, 

Span, limit of, for iron lintels, 

Stairs and halls in certain dwelling-houses, etc., 
Stairs, bulkheads, and doors, 

Statement and plans to be submitted, . 
Statement may be dispensed with, 

Steam pipes, . . ' . 

Stirrup irons, j 

Straps for girders, 

Strength, bearing. for girders and piers, 
Strength, calculations for, 

Strength for columns, .... 

Strength of caps for piers, 

Strength of floors, .... 

Strips for anchors, .... 

Storehouses, safe load for floors, 

Stone ashler, thickness for, 

Stone ashler, backing for, 

Stone walls, headers in, ... 

Store partition walls and girders, 

Store walls, ..... 

Stone walls, how constructed, . 

Stone or iron templates, 

Stud partitions in cellar, 

Suits, in name of Fire Department, 
Superintendent, inspectors, attorney, . 
Superintendent may make wall secure, 

Supply pipes, gas, .... 

Supports, temporary, .... 

Survey, ...... 

Surveyors, how appointed, 

Survey, pay of architect on, 

Swearing, false, .... 

Sworn statement, .... 

Templates, iron or stone, 

Temporary supports, .... 
Tenement houses, halls and stairs of certain, . 
Testing of iron beams, .... 
Thickness, minimum, for iron columns, 
Thickness of walls for dwellings, 

Thicker walls when face brick are used, 

Thicker walls, when to be, 

Thickness for partition walls, in dwellings, 
Thickness for stone ashler, 

Thickness of walls, when they may be reduced, 
Thickness of walls to top of beams, 

Theatre walls, ..... 
Theatres, arrangement for existing, 
construction for, 
aisles in auditorium, . 
approval of, before opening, . 
auditorium seats, 
auditorium walls, 

6 


SECTION 

PAGE 

489 

28 

482 

18 

485 

22 

492 

34 

494 

36 

503 

52 

503' 

53 

488 

27 

490 

30 

483 

20 

477 

14 

491 

31 

491 

31 

481 

17 

490 

31 

483 

21 

490 

31 

483 

20 

480 

17 

480 

16 

477 

14 

477 

13 

480 

16 

492 

33 

476 

13 

515 

66 

514 

65 

471 

3 

489 

29 

479 

16 

510 

59 

510 

59 

510 

60 

503 

53 

503 

52 

492 

33 

479 

16 

492 

34 

491 

32 

485 

23 

476 

5 

480 

17 

477 

14 

476 

6 

483 

20 

477 

15 

476 

13 

477 

15 

499 

40 

500 

40 

500 

47 

500 

41 

500 

46 

500 

45 




82 


Theatres, canvas coverings, 
corridors, 

cupboards and shelving 
curtain, proscenium, . 
diagrams, 

door openings, width of, 
doors for proscenium wall, 
dressing-room partitions, 
exit doors, 

exits, number proportioned, . 

exits, width of, 

exits, gallery, . 

exterior walls, . 

extinguishers, portable, 

fire commissioners to control gas, etc 

fire escape balconies, . 

fire proof doors, 

fire proof floors, 

foot lights, 

for other purposes prohibited, 
frame for proscenium opening, 
frontage, street, 
gallery ceiling covering, 
gallery exits and entrances, . 
gallery stairs, . 
gas cocks, 

gas lights to be protected, 
gates, .... 
gradients, 
handrails, 

hose, .... 
inclined planes in aisles, 
independent staircases, 
interior walls, . . . 

ladders, 

landings and steps for stairs, . 

lights, gas, to be protected, . 

lights, foot, 

lights, passage, 

lights, stage, . 

lobbies and standing room, 

obstructions, 

openings 

open side spaces, 

orchestra, when placed above, 

partitions in auditorium, 

passages kept lighted, . 

passage ways, width for 

proscenium curtain, 

proscenium frame. 

proscenium wall, 

seats in auditorium, 

shaft over main chandelier, . 

shafts and sky-lights over stage, 

sheathing of wood prohibited, 

side spaces, open, 


SECTION 

PAGE 

500 

45 

500 

42 

500 

46 

500 

46 

500 

50 

500 

47 

500 

45 

500 

45 

500 

47 ' 

500 

47 

500 

43 

500 

47 

500 

44 

500 

49 

500 

50 

500 

43 

500 

45 

500 

45 

500 

50 

500 

43 

500 

44 

500 

41 

500 

46 

500 

47 

500 

48 

500 

49 

500 

49 

500 

42 

500 

42 

500 

47 

500 

49 

500 

47 

500 

48 

500 

44 

500 

45 

500 

48 

500 

49 

500 

50 

500 

49 

500 

50 

500 

47 

500 

42 

500 

42 

500 

41 

500 

44 

500 

45 

500 

49 

500 

47 

500 

46 

500 

44 

500 

44 

500 

. 46 

500 

50 

500 

44 

500 

45 

500 

41 






83 


, SECTION 

Theatres, scenery, stage, . . . 500 

stage lights, . * 500 

stairs, gallery, , 500 

stairs, inclosure of . . , 500 

stairs, landing and steps for, . . . 50 O 

stairs, straight, . . . .500 

stairs, winding, .... 500 

standing room and lobbies, . . . 500 

stand pipes, ..... 500 

sprinklers, ..... 500 

steam boilers, ..... 500 

street frontage, .... 500 

wainscoting, ..... 500 

walls, auditorium, .... 500 

walls, exterior, .... 500 

walls, interior, ..... 500 

walls, proscenium, .... 500 

wood sheathing prohibited, . . . 500 

Timber, quality of, .... 490 

Time allowed, ...... 510 

Tin flues, .....* 488 

To determine the width of buildings, . . . 477 

Trap doors and railings, . , . . 487 

Trial of issue, ^ . . . . .511 

Unsafe buildings, ..... 509 

Unsafe chimneys, ..... 488 

Unsafe signs, ...... 495 

Unsafe wooden cornices, . , . . 493 

Verdict, . . . . . .511 

Violation continued, a misdemeanor. . . . 508 

Violation, how notice of is served, . . . 507 

Violation, penalties for, .... 505 

Wall anchors, ...... 483 

Wall, center, in narrow dwellings, . . . 476 

Wall, party, iron posts, .... 485 

Wall, protect adjoining, .... 474 

Walls, before being altered, permission must be had, . 479 
Walls, certain, of less thickness, . . . 476 

Walls, construction of, . . . .472 

Walls, cutting off, . . . . .479 

Walls, dangerous, after fire, .... 500 

Walls, buildings other than dwellings except churches, etc., 477 
Walls for churches, theatres, etc., . . . 477 

Walls for dwellings, thickness of, . . .476 

Walls, foundation, depth of, . . 473 

Walls, foundation, how built, . . . . • 475 

Walls, frozen, ...... 480 

Walls, full thickness to tops of beams, . . 476 

Walls, hollow, ...... 477 

Walls of buildings over 125 ft. deep . . . 477 

Walls, partition and girders for stores, . . 477 


PAGE 

46 
50 
48 

44 
48 
48 

48 

47 

49 
49 

48 
41 

45 
45 
44 
44 

44 

45 
31 
59 
26 
16 
25 
61 


58 

27 

37 

34 


61 

58 

57 

55 


20 

13 

23 

3 

16 

6 

2 

16 

51 

13 

15 

5 

2 

4 
17 

13 
15 

14 
14 






84 


Walls, partition, for dwellings thickness of, . 
Walls, party, in dwellings, 

Walls, party, iron posts for, 

Walls, party, wooden beams in, 

Walls, point to compute height, 

Walls, recesses in, ... 

Walls, recesses in, for pipes, 

Walls, retaining, . 

Walls, stone, headers in, 

Walls, stone, how constructed, . 

Walls, thicker when face brick are used, 

Walls to be braced, .... 

Walls, unsafe, superintendent’s powers, 

Walls, w'hen they may be reduced in thickness, 
Walls, when to be thicker, 

Warehouse walls, . 

Weight, bearing, for floors, 

Weight, bearing, to be marked on iron beams, 
Width of buildings, how to be determined, 
Width of girders, .... 

Windows and doors, arches over, 

Windows, bay or oriel, . 

Wooden balconies, .... 

Wooden buildings, removing, . 

Wooden cornices, unsafe, 

Wooden fences, signs, etc., 

Wooden piazzas, . 

Wooden privies, . 

Wooden signs, . 

Wood furring, . 

Wood work against flues, 

Wrought iron beams, . 


SECTION 

PAGE 

476 

6 

476 

13 

485 

22 

490 

30 

477 

16 

476 

13 

482 

19 

481 

18 

480 

16 

480 

16 

480 

17 

479 

16 

474 

3 

477 

15 

477 

14 

477 

13 

491 

31 

491 

32 

477 

16 

485 

22 

486 

24 

495 

36 

495 

36 

496 

37 

493 

34 

495 

36 

495 

36 

495 

36 

495 

36 

488 

26 

488 

27 

485 

22 


II.—LAW LIMITING THE HEIGHT OF DWELLING HOUSES. 

SECTION PAGE 

Height of house regulated by width of street . . 1 69 

Not to apply where contracts were signed, or plans were 

filed previous to this act, . . . . 2 69 

Point where to compute height . . . . 2 69 






















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